Paradise Lost
by b.krumova
Summary: A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Very OOC, AH; UNDERGOING EDIT. The story is not abandoned.
1. And Then It All Began

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M** (**NC-17**), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human; OOC; Plot is property of **b. krumova**. _©201__1__-2012__._

**This story is from a narrator's prospective.**

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then It All Began_

He stared at her in disbelief. What kind of game she was trying to play was beyond him. Here he was — powerful and rich — standing in a one-bedroom apartment looking at the woman who claimed to be the mother of his child.

"What exactly do you want?" he asked, irritation evident in his voice. Edward knew of Bella's type, he even encountered women such as her more than he would have wanted in his life. His net worth and his charms drew gold-diggers like magnets and the young woman in front of him wasn't any different.

He looked at her all over, stopping his gaze on her frightened face. Gone was the feistiness she greeted him with. Her big chocolate, almond-shaped eyes were reddened with the tears she was fighting so hard to keep in bay. There was something about her — he wouldn't call it beauty and he couldn't say it was lustfulness. Her features reminded him more of a child, rather than a woman, but still he could see what had allured him to her three years ago — her innocence.

"I just want my son to know his father," she said quietly. Clearing her throat and with much deeper voice, she continued, "And I want to at least give you the chance to know he exists. How is this bad? He is a wonderful child, and I know you can feel his pain. Alice told me you technically grew up without a father yourself—" Bella began, but Edward's hard gaze stopped her.

He looked so violent then, Bella felt a shudder run down her spine. Her knees trembled no matter how hard she tried to appear strong and independent.

Edward ran in Bella's direction like a predator seeking his victim **—** just like the lion prepares for an attack. She was just standing there, scared. Her soft features became a grimace, like she was feeling actual physical pain.

He pushed her hard into the nearest wall, immediately caging her between his strong arms. His jade-colored eyes were impossibly hard on her, his shoulders heaving with the heavy breaths he took.

"I have no idea why in God's name I stuck my dick in you all those years ago, but if you think that bastard you claim is mine is going to take a dime of my money, you've got something else coming," he spat.

"Listen, Edward—" Bella started, but he cut her off.

"Did I tell you it is okay for you to use my first name? It is Mr. Cullen to you, little one. Matter of fact, I want a DNA test, and if that little human actually turns out to be mine, I swear to the Lord above, dear what-is-your-name, I will take that child away and you'll never see it again!" he hissed.

Bella's eyes went wide. Although naïve, she wasn't stupid. She was perfectly aware of his wealth and although that hadn't been the reason she contacted him, she knew what money were capable of doing these days. The tears she fought so hard not to let fall, escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, leaving a wet trail on her creamy-colored skin.

In that moment all she wanted was to grab her child and run as far away from Edward Cullen as possible.

"You can't," she said sternly, her voice breaking. "I won't allow it." Her last words lost the threatening stance she was trying to show as she chocked on a sob.

Unbothered by her distress, Edward spat, "I built an empire overnight! I can do as I please!"

Moving her head to the sides, as if she was trying to shake herself off of a terrible thought she quietly whimpered, "Please…I won't bother you again. Just leave me alone. I swear I won't contact you again. My son doesn't need this in his life. He's two years old!"

Edward chuckled darkly, leaning in closer to her. He brought his face to hers and she briefly wondered how she though he was beautiful all those years ago when she saw nothing but ugliness from him tonight.

"I'll make you regret the moment you ever met me! You won't win this game." Edward pushed himself away from Bella and grabbed her chin in between his fingers tilting her head back until she was looking at him. She whimpered in fear as he spoke, "I'll end you."

He turned his back on her, hearing only her labored breathing and heartbreaking sobs as she slid down the wall and onto the floor. She hugged her legs close to her chest and buried her face in her knees, trying to fight for every breath she took.

Turning his head back, Edward watched her for what seemed to be the longest time. Her distress and her pain were left bare, in plain sight for him to witness, but instead of guilt that he had caused her to be like this, Edward felt repulsion.

"I must have been really drunk to fuck you," he said, shaking his head, and walked away from a petrified Bella Swan.

* * *

_I enjoy writing angst and I usually write heavy angst. This story specifically, as I believe you already gathered, has a very out-of-character…well, characters. You and me, we're starting a relationship now and we need to trust each other. I need you to trust me not to let you down, and in return I'll trust you to be here whenever a new chapter goes online. Hopefully, both of us will be happy in the end of our approximately thirty chapter long journey._

_-Bee._


	2. And Then She Met Him

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M** (**NC-17**), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human; OOC; Plot is property of **b. krumova**. _©2011-2012._

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then She Met Him_

"I can't believe you're leaving Forks," Jacob Black whispered into Bella Swan's hair as he wrapped his arms around her petite frame. Bella had been his best friend for as long as he could remember. She was the smartest, the sweetest, and the single most amazing person he had ever met.

Being the only friend her age that she could relate to, Bella immediately fell in love with Jacob. Never romantically; they just cherished each other more than words and actions could ever show.

Even though Jacob was ten months younger than Bella, she always relied on him as if he were her big brother. She didn't have any siblings, so Jake filled that void she had in her life.

Her mother, Renee, had died while she was giving birth to Bella. There were major complications with Renee's uterus, causing irreparable damage to the walls of it. Even though they had removed her entire reproductive system, they still had no chance of saving her. Renee Swan's death caused Bella's father, Charlie, great pain. Despite the fact that he loved Bella in his own way, he always indirectly blamed her for his wife's death.

In her childhood years, Bella grew up alone. Her birthplace, Forks, was a town in Washington State, with no more than three thousand people. The town was small, but nevertheless was home of some very elite people. The nature was great; it was peaceful. Rich people loved it there. Most of them lived in small mansions, like the Masens.

The Masen family was one of the wealthiest families in Forks. Elizabeth and Edward had moved to town a little before Bella was born. Rumors had it, that Edward had an affair with some plastic surgeon's wife, which caused the Masens to move across country, from Chicago to Forks. It didn't take much to see that the Masens had problems. Even through Bella's childlike view of the world, she could still see that Elizabeth was lonely. The young woman was incapable of bearing children and Edward was against adoption. It didn't help matters that he was always working and hardly ever home.

Bella liked hanging out with Elizabeth. The young girl's father was the police chief in the small town they lived in and since he was rarely home during the day, Elizabeth offered to babysit Bella most of the time. The woman loved being around the little girl. The pain she felt from her inability to have children somehow lessened whenever Bella was around.

However, despite her relationship with Elizabeth, Bella was lonely. Charlie Swan lived paycheck by paycheck and had troubles meeting both ends. Their limited budget often meant that Bella couldn't attend a birthday party she was invited to, or go to a school excursion because she couldn't afford it. It didn't take long for them to start ignoring her and after growing up, eventually mocking her.

Bella like to talk to Elizabeth about her classmates and the woman's heart broke whenever Bella told her she ate yet another lunch with the school teacher instead of her friends. Thinking she was helping her, Elizabeth once bought her a pretty pink dress, but Bella never got the chance to wear it. As soon as he told her father about it, Charlie got angry and burned it in the yard, along with the autumn leaves that had fallen from the trees. He had told Bella they did not accept charity.

Because of all that, Bella stayed on her own for the first twelve years of her life; she was not communicative. The only people she did talk to her were her father, Elizabeth, and the grocery store's workers. She had not spoken a friendly word with any of the kids her age in what seemed like forever.

All this changed the day the Blacks moved into the house next to the Swans.

William Black — or as he liked to be called, Billy — moved to Forks with his son, Jacob, after the bankruptcy his company went through. He had lost everything he had, including his wife. The second Billy lost his money Rebecca took off, leaving him to look after Jacob by himself.

This was how Bella found her first and only friend in her life.

They lived through the hell of high school together, spent every birthday, Christmas, and Thanksgiving by each other's side. They talked on the phone all the time and spent every free second joined in the hip. They had shared their first kiss and then laughed about the awkwardness of it.

Bella was always a straight "A" student. Ever since she was old enough to know, she wanted to get out of Forks. The limitations she felt there suffocated her. She knew there was a whole other world out there that she wanted to explore. She wanted to travel around the world, to meet new people. This was the reason for her endless studying. She was well aware that Charlie would never pay for her education. Not so much because he didn't _want_ it for her, but because he _couldn't_ afford it.

The day she received the letter saying she was accepted to Harvard with full a scholarship was the best day of her life. She had called Jacob immediately, sharing the news with him. He was beyond thrilled for her, but of course, sad about losing his best friend.

Jake hated studying. He preferred cars, engines, and motor oils to books and math equations. He was a free, happy spirit. He always joked that he was too cool for school and his gorgeous face would get his through every problem.

Jacob was over six feet four inches tall, and he seemed to grow more and more every year. He had tanned skin in contrast with the pale-faced population of Forks. With a body of a _Gentlemen Quarterly _model and a flashing smile, he could have had any girl he wanted. However, he never dated. He knew that a woman would try to drive him apart from Bella, and he just knew that this would be something he could never survive.

Bella was his light in the dark tunnel. She was his everything.

College was never a goal of Jacob's. He had found a job as a mechanic in a body shop in Port Angeles, and he was more than happy to start the second he graduated.

However, graduation also meant saying goodbye to Bella.

After being together night and day for years, their impending separation was physically painful; Bella was only an hour away from flying to Massachusetts. They were standing in the Seattle airport, hugging each other closely. Bella had trouble breathing from the firm hold Jacob had on her, but she didn't mind. She was so freaked out of the unknown that the little piece of familiarity she found in her best friend's arms was as welcome as the rain in the drought. Jacob was her constant; he was always there. She would give everything if it meant he got to join her in Cambridge.

Unfortunately he couldn't.

It was the time for her to put her big girl panties on and face the world without Jake holding her hand the entire way.

"I'm scared, Jake," she sobbed into his muscular chest. She had forbid herself from crying, repeatedly telling herself that this was not a real goodbye. She would see Jake again; she would talk to him on the phone every day.

But still, she knew she was facing the storm, and her personal sunshine was not near her to chase the clouds away anymore.

"_Calling all passengers for flight BA 319 to Boston, Massachusetts,"_ a woman's voice from the speakers blasted. _"Calling all passengers for flight BA 319 to Boston, Massachusetts."_

"Oh, God. This is me," Bella gasped. That was it. All she had to do was board on that plane and face her future. Her knees were shaking in both anticipation and fear.

Jake chuckled and wrapped his fingers gently around her biceps. "Bella, relax. You are going to Harvard. This is _the best_ Ivy League school in the US. Fuck, even in the world! You have a full scholarship. With fear of sounding like a complete pussy you were _like_ the chosen one!"

Bella sighed, sharing the fear that had been eating away at her for weeks now. "I'm terrified. I'm going to a place full with rich kids, again! I was trying to escape Forks, and somehow I'm going to a place even worse than this godforsaken town."

"What irony, huh?" he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Bella, you are awesome. Everyone will know it. Just have a little more faith in yourself, okay?"

In between sobs, she mumbled, "Okay."

"Don't fuck around with strangers, and try not to get knocked up," he joked.

"Jake!" Bella gasped, hitting his bicep with her tiny fist.

He laughed and hugged her again. "But, even if you do get knocked up, I want the first kid named Jacob, got it?"

"I _am not_ planning on having kids until I'm thirty, Jake, but I promise that no matter what age I get pregnant, you'll be the godfather," she promised.

"_Final call for all passengers for flight BA 319 to Boston, Massachusetts," _the woman called again from the speakers.

"I have to go now. Wish me luck."

He smiled a sincere smile and cupped her face, kissing her full lips with his. It wasn't a romantic gesture, just the perfect way to say goodbye to his best friend.

"You don't need it, Isabella. You are going to kick those rich fuckers' asses. Just try to blend in with the crowd, okay? I know it's very important to have your own personality, but in a place like that, just try to mix up with everyone, all right?" he said, resting his forehead on hers.

"Got it," Grabbing her handbag from Jake and putting it on her shoulder, she said, "Bye, Jake," before walking backwards from him, sending him an air kiss.

"Call me when you land. I love you," he yelled.

"I love you, too," she replied, turning her back on him and almost jogging to the ticket line.

Bella brushed the fallen tears away and got in the line, waiting for her to get board on the plane. Having checked in her luggage as soon as she got to the airport, her only baggage was the handbag she had strapped over her shoulder. As soon as her turn came, she gave her necessary documents and her ticket to the airport staff and then was ushered through the hall leading to the plane.

As soon as the physically ill passengers were seated, she was called in, having bought a first-class ticket as a treat for a job well done. Bella had saved all of the tips she got from her part-time job as a waitress at the Diner, a small restaurant in Forks.

The fight-attendant showed her to her seat and with a smile wished her a good flight. Bella placed her handbag on the compartment over her head and sat in her seat, taking a deep, calming breath before she exhaled it. After the instructions were read and the stewardesses checked to see if everyone was secured to their seat with a belt, the plane departed from Seattle. With a sad smile, Bella said goodbye to Forks and everything it represent and welcomed the new beginnings.

Bella was a little sad that her father chose the day of her departure to go fishing. He didn't even wake her up to wish her a good flight. She shook her head again, clearing her head from all negative thoughts.

One hour into the flight she took the iPod from the pocket of her jeans. Calm soothing music filled her ears as she prepared herself for the flight to Boston.

Before she knew it, she was asleep.

She woke up only half an hour before they were supposed to land. The battery of her iPod had died, probably long ago, and her neck was sore from the awkward position she'd slept in. The flight attendant saw her waking up and offered her lunch and orange juice; Bella gladly accepted both.

The first class ticket was pretty expensive; the least she could do was take advantage of all the extras.

Once they landed, she was led to yet another small hall, leading to the terminal. She waited for her bags, and luckily, they were one of the first to come out. Luckily, she only had two bags having left most of her belongings at Forks. She wasn't one of those girls who could leave their house without half of their possessions stuffed into a suitcase.

As soon as she collected her bags, she stood up hurriedly and without meaning to, collided with someone, making her handbag fall from her shoulder and spill some of its content on the floor.

"Watch it, bitch," the person she smacked herself against hissed; his voice was harsh and angry.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Bella only saw his back as he walked away from her. He was pretty tall, had messy bronze hair, and apparently lacked manners.

"What a douche," another man said from behind her. "Here, let me help you."

Bella raised her eyes from her belongings laying on the floor only to be met with a man, who surely spent half of his adult life in the gym. The white tee shirt he had was as tight as anything and Bella actually wondered if it would rip open had he bended over. His physics and his height were intimidating and Bella decided that she'd actually prefer if he didn't help her.

"Nah, that's okay. I can handle it. Thank you so much for your offer, but I have my father here somewhere waiting for me," she mumbled, trying to get him off of her. She knew her fear was irrational — he was only helping her so far — but his looks were making the hair on her neck to stand.

The guy chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. "I'm not trying to hurt you, little one. I'm only trying to be helpful."

Bella lifted her head and really looked at him. Seeing him for a longer time, she really saw nothing but friendliness written in his deep ocean-blue eyes. His short black hair was curly, and when he smiled, the cutest dimples appeared on his cheeks.

He laughed again and helped her with her bags. "I'm Emmett McCarty by the way," he introduced himself.

"Bella Swan," she responded, placing her hair behind her ear.

"Well, Bella Swan, what brings you to Boston?" he asked, walking with her to the exit doors.

"I'm studying at Harvard, actually. Freshman. I just arrived."

"Really? My girlfriend is studying law at Harvard. She is bad-ass, I tell you. She will be a terrific lawyer."

Bella just smiled at the way he talked about his loved one.

"Anyway, how are you getting to Cambridge?" he asked.

"Well, I was considering via cab?" she suggested.

"No way! Rosie is coming to get me she can drive both of us there."

"Oh no, I can't," she said, remembering all the lessons about strangers and candies.

Emmett laughed again. "We don't bite, as a matter of fact—" He didn't have the chance to continue his sentence as a blonde-haired woman flew by Bella and jumped into Emmett's open arms.

He smiled broadly when the girl pressed her forehead to his and whispered her love for him. Bella fidgeted in her place, not exactly sure if she was supposed to say something. Her social skills were limited at best.

_Rosie_ — or so Bella thought — jumped from Emmett's arms and turned to face Bella.

Finally getting to look at her properly, Bella was almost stunned by the appearance of Emmett's girlfriend. She had this natural beauty glow to her one Bella though only could be achieved with image editing programs and lots of makeup. Her tanned skin made her forest-green eyes stand out and her long mascara coated lashes were only adding beauty to her eyes. Her muscular arms and slender body told Bella that this girl obviously shared her boyfriend's love for fitness.

"Hi, I'm Rosalie Hale, Emmett's girlfriend, and you are?" she asked in a friendly tone, offering her hand to Bella.

Snapping out of her staring, Bella shook her hand and said, "Bella Swan."

"I really like this name. I haven't heard of it before actually. I might have to steal if for my future children." Giggling at Bella's stunned expression, Rosalie spoke again, "Where are you headed to?"

"Cambridge."

Wrapping his arm around Bella's shoulders, Emmett said, "Bella's a freshman at Harvard. I just met her on the check-out line when some jerk pushed past her."

"That's great! I'm a senior there. Come on then, I'll drive you and then give you a tour if you'd like," Rosalie said, taking her car keys from her jeans pocket and unlocking a giant monster truck.

"Wow." Bella was in awe of the vehicle; Jake's VW Rabbit was nothing compared to it.

"I get this reaction a lot, don't worry. When people see me they expect me to drive a Beatle or something equally girly. I, however, am a sucker for all things big," Rose said, smirking. Emmett only winked at her.

Bella couldn't figure out their exchange at first, but when she did, she blushed rosy.

Emmett and Rosalie just laughed at her innocence.

* * *

"What are you majoring in, Bella?" Rosalie asked from the driver's seat, just as she made a left turn.

They have been on the road for a while now and Bella actually found herself liking Rosalie's jeep more than she should have. The only problem she had with it was her inability to climb into it by herself. Rosalie had no problem getting in, but Bella did. She was a petite woman, barely reaching five-foot-three. Once she had made two unsuccessful attempts of getting in, Emmett took mercy on her and helped her into the back seat.

"International Affairs and Economics."

Rosalie whistled and looked at Bella in the rear-view mirror. "That's a hard major. Usually people like to get through the years easy. You must be the first person I know who's actually biting the bullet with IAE."

"You're studying law. Isn't that a hard major?" Bella said. She wished she would have the backbone to be a lawyer. Constitutional rights always fascinated her. She had watched every episode of _Law and Order, CSI, NCIS,_ and even _Boston Legal_.

"Oh, it is. Trust me when I say this, this university is kicking my ass to the core, but I wanted to become a lawyer since I was old enough to know what it entailed. Studying with passion is more fulfilling and easy than busting your ass over something that you hate doing."

Turning her attention to Emmett, Bella asked. "Are you a Harvard graduate?"

"Nah. I graduated four years ago from Yale."

"What was your major?" she asked.

"Ethics, Politics, and Economics," he answered. "I'm working for my father's company now. He is the CEO, so when he dies I'm next in charge. I know this sounds heartless, but trust me, it's not my intention. It's just the way it is."

Bella understood completely. She imagined how cool it must be working with a family member. The only way for this to happen in Bella's life, would be if she had become a police officer in Forks and that thought really didn't appeal to her as much as Harvard did.

"Where are you staying?" Rosalie asked.

"I have a dorm. The girl I'm sharing it with is named Alice Cullen. That's the only information I know," Bella said.

"Cullen?" Rosalie asked, looking at Emmett. Apparently the name Cullen wasn't something Emmett liked because he clenched his teeth. "Do you think she could be related to Edward?"

Bella didn't know this Edward person, but by Emmett's reaction, she had no intention of making his acquaintance.

"Fuck, Rose. Just stop fucking talking about him!" he yelled, causing Bella to flinch.

Rosalie just glared at him and continued to drive. Bella, on the other hand, was almost shaking in the back seat.

Emmett looked at the rear view mirror and saw Bella's scared form.

"Jesus, Shorty, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that; I just really hate that guy, okay?" he said, looking sincere.

Bella just nodded, feeling that her throat was very dry.

"Great job, Emmett. No wonder I have no girlfriends," Rosalie said, shaking her head.

* * *

Rosalie parked the jeep in front of Bella's dorm facility. Emmett jumped from the car immediately and helped Bella get down. He then retrieved her suitcases and headed inside after asking Bella her room number.

Rosalie was with Bella in front of the dorm building. The gentle late August air was blowing both of the girls' hair. Rosalie's golden locks were flying with the wind, creating a halo around her head. In the moment she truly looked like an angel.

Bella's naturally mahogany hair had a rich deep red color to it whenever the sunrays captured it. Her long, wavy locks framed her heart-shaped face and fell down her back, reaching her waist. Her pale, creamy-colored skin made her chocolate-brown eyes stand out from beneath thick, long eyelashes. Her high cheekbones made little wrinkles appear around the corners of her eyes every time she laughed.

She may have not looked like a sexy vixen, but she had this beauty about her she never really gave herself credit for.

Bella wasn't the type of girl who put makeup on, or read millions of fashion magazines a month. She really believed that you only need a shower and acceptable clothing to leave the house. How could some girls spent hours in front of their closets, or mirror was unbeknown to her.

She wasn't completely ignorant about her appearance though. The petite young woman was crazy about her nails and did everything she could to keep them long and always beautifully painted on. Usually she liked to keep them simple, French manicure was what she liked best. The white tips and the creamy nail-polish on top stood very nicely over every woman's nail.

Bella also liked to het a full body waxing once a month, for no particular reason. She knew that Forks was rainy and cold, and that no one could see if she had stubble on her legs or armpits, but she knew. She liked her skin as soft as a baby's bottom.

The girls exchanged numbers and when Emmett finally walked out of the building, Rosalie gave Bella a quick hug.

"Call me if you need anything, Bella. I don't care how late it is, okay?" she said, caressing her back before letting go.

"I left your bags in front of your door. Don't worry; no one will steal anything," Emmett assured.

Bella smiled, before Emmett gave her a hug as well. "Did Rose give you her number?"

Bella nodded assuredly. "Okay then. Call us if you need anything. We'll call you on Friday if you want to go out," he said.

"You mean tomorrow?" Bella asked.

"Ungh, yeah. I swear whenever I'm not at work I don't even know what month is it."

Chuckling, Bella waved at them, before taking a deep breath and walking inside.

* * *

Two hours later, Bella had unpacked everything and lay in the bed closest to the window. She always slept by the window, otherwise she had nightmares. Her roommate, Alice, was still nowhere to be seen.

Bella had called Jacob when she got to the room and told him all about Rosalie and Emmett. She also told him about the guy who pushed her at the airport, causing Jacob to start swearing like a sailor. At least he was glad that Bella had found some friends.

She didn't call her father. If he wanted to talk to her, he could call her anytime he wanted to. She didn't have any classes for another two weeks.

When seven p.m. finally arrived, Alice walked into the room.

Bella was both surprised and confused by what she saw.

Alice Cullen was the shortest person Bella had ever seen. She wasn't little people short, but she was short nonetheless. Bella guessed she was probably no more than four-foot-eleven barefoot; her heels were a good four or five inches, so she was almost Bella's height.

She was covered head to toe in beauty products. Her face was caked in so much makeup, Bella thought that this girl was trying to paint a new identity on her face. Her eyelids were coated in dark eye shadow, and her eyelashes were glued on for sure — it was impossible for them to be that long naturally. She had blush on her cheeks, so red she almost looked like a clown, and the final element of the complete makeup disaster was the bright red lipstick she had on her lips.

Alice was dressed in the shortest of skirts — it looked more like a belt than any type of clothing — and black fishnet stockings, whose garter was visible. The scary looking four of five inched boots she had on, were making her look like a low-class hooker more than anything else.

But, the thing that grabbed Bella's attention the most was the fact that Alice only had a bra underneath her midriff-baring unbuttoned leather jacket.

The entire personality of this girl screamed _"I carry sexually transmitted diseases!"_

"Hi, I'm Bella—" Bella tried to introduce herself, but Alice cut her off.

"Looks like you made yourself comfortable? You didn't think to wait and see where I would like to sleep?" she hissed.

Obviously uncomfortable with Alice's response, Bella looked down before mumbling, "Um…I—" only to be stopped by her roommate again.

"You are lucky I'm planning on sleeping in a different bed every night. Fresh meat. I love it," she said, like it was something completely natural. She tossed her purse on the available bed and went to the mirror to check her appearance.

Her hair was black, short and spiky, but it looked damaged. It was completely immovable, and that made Bella think that it was probably covered in more hair products than she could name.

"Do you have a boyfriend or a fuck buddy? Actually, what was your name again?" Alice asked.

"_Bella,_ and no boyfriend. Never really had one," Bella said. She was trying to make some sort of a bond with her new roommate even though hers and Alice's perspectives of college were entirely different.

"So what—you just fuck around?"

Bella was torn between amusement and bewilderment. The way Alice Cullen's brain worked was kind of fascinating. This girl had the ability of turning the topic of any spoken sentence about sex.

"I haven't really had sex," Bella responded, hoping that this will make her stop talking about it.

Wrong. She was wrong.

As if she added fuel to the fire, Alice's eyes nearly popped out from their sockets. "You're fucking with me, right?"

"Um…no?" Bella suggested.

She wasn't waiting for marriage, or for her knight in shining armor on a white horse, but she wasn't attracted to anyone, really. So, she had just stayed a virgin. She and Jake never talked about it. Kissing was one thing, but this was a whole new level of intimacy friends were not supposed to share.

"Oh, my God! That's just wrong!" Alice gasped, continuing her rant. "What, did your mother put a chastity belt on you or something?"

At the mention of her mother, Bella immediately felt sad. "My mother…passed away while she was giving bir—"

"Yeah, boo-hoo-hoo. I don't care about you family drama, baby. Listen—how about this," Alice said, making her way to Bella and sitting on the bed next to her. "You are my new BFF now, okay?"

Being backed in the corner, Bella just agreed.

"Okay. So, you and I are going to this bad-ass party the seniors are throwing tonight, and we will find you a boyfriend, mkay?" Alice declared.

"O-kay?" Bella said, unsure.

Alice laughed. Her laugh was loud, very annoying, and completely fake. "I will give you a little makeover, 'cause, sweets, you are pretty plain as you are, and then we will get you a date. You can fuck him. God knows you need it."

"Um…no. I'm not losing my virginity at a party, Alice."

"Just have fun, Bella. You're in college. No one is going to judge you!"

"God, I can't believe you are still a virgin. I fucked for the first time when I was thirteen and haven't stopped since. The longest dry-period I had was three days, and trust me, it was H – E – L - L!" Spelling the last word, Alice grabbed her purse and disappeared into the bathroom.

This time, Bella's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

* * *

Two hours later, Bella and Alice were ready to go. Alice had put some makeup on Bella, thankfully with not so many layers of makeup as on herself. She had also straightened her hair and given her a short, black dress and high heels.

Bella wanted to object to the latter, but she thought that she really wanted to be in a good relationship with Alice, despite her roommate's personality.

The seniors didn't have a dorm room building, but since most of them came from wealthy families it wasn't a problem for them to live off-campus in a prestigious apartment, or a house. As Alice let Bella know fifteen minutes ago they were going to her big brother's apartment.

When Bella asked Alice why she wasn't living with him, Alice told her that her mother insisted that she live in the dorms. Apparently, she needed to make new contacts, and that was the best way.

When they finally made their way to Alice's brother's apartment, Bella's feet were already tired. The only good thing was that he lived close to campus.

Alice let herself in, dragging Bella behind her. She walked as if she was on a mission and scanned the room for someone.

"Who are you looking for?" Bella asked.

"Edward," Alice answered.

Bella's breath hitched. So, Alice actually was related to this Edward guy. Suddenly, Bella wanted to run and hide from this apartment. If Emmett hated him, he must have had a very good reason.

"Oh, there he is. Edward!" Alice yelled, grabbing Bella's hand and dragging her to the other side of the room.

The most beautiful man Bella had ever seen turned around and looked at his sister.

He was like Adonis. A Greek god sent to Earth to torture little virginal girls. Bella had never felt such attraction to a man before in her life. Living in Forks and not having lots of friends didn't mean she didn't appreciate male beauty.

Edward was hovering over Bella's frame even though her heels were too tall for anyone's comfort. The shirt he had on was buttoned up only halfway, leaving his chest bare for her to look at. His pecks were muscular, but not overly so. His body was lean, but still it was obvious he was working out.

His hair looked like a million hands had run through it. It was messy, bronze-colored, and looked so soft. It complimented his jade-colored eyes perfectly. If she thought Rosalie's eyes were pretty, she was mistaken. There was nothing better than this guy's eyes.

His face was more mature than the boys back in Forks. Being a senior meant he was around twenty-two years old. His jaw was strong and square. A few days' stubble was covering it as well as his cheeks. His cheekbones were high on his face, and his lashes were thick and long.

He was beautiful, yummy, and all-around breathtaking!

"Are you going to introduce yourself, or are you just going to ogle me all night?"

Bella was taken aback by his attitude but also ashamed that she was caught drooling over him.

"Eddie, this is Bella, she is my new _virgin_ BFF. Do something about it," Alice said, kissing his cheek and slapping Bella's ass before disappearing into the crowd.

A devilish smirk appeared on Edward's face. There was something he had never done.

A virgin.

Just when he thought he'd had every college experience.

Edward tossed his arm around Bella's shoulders and whispered in her ear, "If you are lucky, I might just fuck that tight pussy tonight."

Bella was far too intoxicated by his smell to even register his offensive words, so she only nodded her head.

If she knew what she was agreeing to, she wouldn't have been so acceptable.

* * *

Three hours later, Edward had introduced Bella to everyone in the apartment. He always mentioned her sexual status to everyone and shared a laugh with the male population. He did not leave her side, though. For him, it was simply the preservation of her hymen until the end of the night when he would fuck her. She, however, thought he liked her too much to be away from her.

Growing up with Jacob, Bella didn't know anything about manipulation and lies. Never before had she experienced it. With her best friend the spade was a spade always and that preservation bubble had stopped Bella from being immune to the malevolent and malicious of some people.

Edward looked down at her and although intoxicated, pressed his lips just below her ear, making her shiver. Virgins always got wet easily and he took full advantage of that: touching her and leaving small kisses on sensitive places of her body all night.

While walking around the apartment and introducing Bella, Edward's cup was always filled with some alcoholic beverage and it didn't take long for him to get drunk.

His attempts of lowering Bella's inhibitions with alcohol though, didn't work quite as well. A blind man could see this was the first time the girl had been out-and-about after her curfew. He knew that she was innocent in every sense of the word. She would be drunk after a beer or two and hence, easier to put in bed.

She kept refusing the alcohol though, telling him she wasn't twenty-one and that it was not right. Edward just shook his head, thinking he had to fuck her fast, because she was really starting to get on his last nerve.

When he downed his last drink, he asked her to accompany him to his bedroom because he wanted to talk to her in private.

She had never been to any parties before that, so she didn't recognize his move. She just complied and followed him to the stairs.

The second they were in his room, he locked the door and pushed her into it, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Bella moaned from surprise, but apparently Edward took it as evidence of her arousal.

She was aroused all right, but the rough kiss had nothing to do with it.

His hands weren't shy and he immediately cupped her breast with one hand and reached under her skirt with the other.

Bella gasped and pushed him away from her.

Edward sighed and raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I came on too strong. You're right. It's just…you're too damned beautiful and it's hard for me to keep my hands away from your body."

Bella looked down and started playing with her fingers. A blush crept up her neck and settled on her cheeks.

Edward just smirked at how easy this was. "I drank tonight, yeah…but I'm not drunk. I'm intoxicated by you."

She blushed even harder and Edward had to bite his lip from laughing out loud. He stepped closer to her again and cupped her cheek, making her look at him. The hopeful spark in her eyes made Edward smirk mischievously.

"Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?" he whispered, leaning closer and closer to her until their lips were almost touching.

It were Bella's lips that pressed to his, then. Her fingers were buried in his hair as she carefully pressed herself closer to him. He licked her bottom lip, seeking for entrance Bella was reluctant to give. His tongue caressed hers and in no time their kiss became needy and frantic. Edward's hands slid down her back and cupped her ass, squeezing it roughly and letting his fingers slide underneath the material of her dress.

Bella didn't stop him this time.

She was drawn to this beautiful man.

Grinding his pelvis into hers, Edward pushed his leg in between hers. A quiet moan passed Bella's lips as she sought the friction she didn't think she needed so bad. The sensation was new and foreign, but in no way bad. Waves of pleasure ripped through her body every time her clitoris brushed against his thigh. The sensation was too much and the pleasure was crippling her.

Unbeknown to her, Edward had already lowered the zipper of her dress. It was strapless, so the upper part fell around her waist as soon as nothing held it together anymore.

Alice had insisted that you can't wear a dress like that with a bra, so Bella hadn't put one on.

She was glad she didn't the moment she felt Edward's lips close around her nipple.

Finding their position no longer comfortable, Edward cupped Bella's butt again and moved toward his bed. He pushed her on it and then climbed on top of her, continuing with his ministrations of her nipples. He made sure to pay enough attention to both of them, arousing her more and more.

"You have a nice pair of tits, you know?" he said, taking a nipple into his mouth again. His hand rolled and pinched the other.

His movements were getting sloppier. He was as hard as a rock and wanted to get inside of her as soon as possible. She wasn't terrible to look at, but still she was nothing special. Another thing was that she was annoying little thing as the sooner he got his rocks off, the better.

"Strip down the rest of the dress," he told her, getting on his knees to remove his own shirt. Seeing she wasn't doing anything at all, he had to grit his teeth from cursing her out loud. "Come on. I want to see you."

"Shouldn't we…talk first? Get to know each other?" she asked, her eyes still downcast.

Raising his eyebrow at her antics, he clicked his tongue. His patience was running low and had it not been for the fact that he might not another opportunity of being with a virgin again, he would have already kicked her out of the room.

Kneeling next to her, he grabbed her dress and slowly started moving it down her legs. "We'll have all the time in the world to talk about. Let's just be with each other now." His voice no longer held that honey-coated timbre that made Bella's knees week. His irritation with her was too much to even try to hide it.

Dragging her thong down her legs along with the dress, he was actually surprised to see her bare pussy. Not that he minded: he liked his women hairless, but still it came as a surprise.

She might be a virgin, but Edward could bet she wasn't as inexperienced as she tried to play.

Grinning, he spread her legs open before settling in between them. He kissed his way up her body, until founding her mouth again.

"I think—" she said, but he cut her off with his lips.

"Listen, Be…uh, baby," he mumbled, forgetting her name. "I want you. How about we stop, you know _stopping_ all the time and actually make ourselves very happy. Huh?"

He shut her off again with his lips, trying to get this thing over with as soon as possible. Her constant blabbering was killing his buzz and he wasn't having that. Afraid she might want to "talk" again, he trailed his fingers down her body, until he found her pussy; soaking wet.

Without warning, Edward inserted two fingers into her at once. She winced in pain. She had never been stretched like that. She had never touched herself, so that area was never entered by anyone or anything.

Edward was far too gone, to even register the fact that Bella wasn't really enjoying this. The alcohol in his system and the anticipation of being with her finally didn't make it better either.

"You're pussy is so tight," he mumbled in her neck, feeling her inner walls grip his fingers. "Fuuuuck." He could only imagine what it would feel like when he finally got to fuck her.

He wasn't going to wait anymore.

Jumping from the bed, he pulled down his jeans and underwear and tossed them somewhere on the side. He grabbed his hard shaft and pumped it up and down several times, relieving some of the ache in his groin.

Bella was mesmerized by his movements, having never seen a men pleasure himself before. The way his biceps flexed every time he pumped his fist, the way his thumb circled the head every time it reached it, it was kind of fascinating.

He climbed back into the bed and spread her legs open.

"Edward…I—" Bella started, but Edward just didn't care anymore. He lined his cock with her entrance and with one shift trust entered her, tearing through her hymen.

"Oh!" she gasped in surprise and pain and grabbed Edward's biceps in a death grip. Her mouth was open and her eyes were clenched. She was trying to take deep breaths, trying to ease the pain.

Resting his forehead on her shoulder, Edward started pumping in and out of her slowly at first. The girl was mumbling something incoherent in his ear and that pissed him off.

He really needed to cum faster and kick that frigid bitch out of his apartment as soon as possible. Edward just pumped restlessly in and out of her, his only goal to get himself off. He didn't give a fuck if whatever her name was, came.

He knew virgins don't get off, anyway. She shouldn't have a problem.

His eyes never met hers. He was watching everywhere but her face. His thrusts were hard and fast, and even though he was famous for lasting long, he really wanted to get off faster with this one, and her being so tight was a plus.

With one final thrust, he emptied his seed in her before collapsing on top of her.

Pulling out of her, he laid his body next to hers. Breathing heavily, he brushed the thin layer of sweat covering his forehead, before looking at Bella for the first time since he entered her.

She brushed a few fallen tears away from cheeks and tried to look as tough as possible.

Fuck that. "Dress yourself and get the fuck out of here," Edward said, not even turning around to look at her. He stood up from the bed, groaning when he saw the bloody mess all over his sheets and his cock.

Walking toward the adjoined bathroom, he turned to look at Bella: her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were swimming with unshed tears. She grabbed her dress and tried to cover herself as quickly as possible.

"You better not be here when I'm out of the bathroom," he hissed and slammed the bathroom door behind him.

Bella broke into sobs. All she wanted was to get dressed and walk back to the dorm. She wanted to have a shower and soothe her aching muscles. Most of all, she wanted to remove him from herself.

As she got dressed and left the room with puffy, pink eyes, she could not stop thinking that they had forgotten something.

That night her life changed forever.

And the hard fucking was not at all the reason.

* * *

_Reviews are much appreciated. You can find links to my Facebook group and Twitter on my profile. _


	3. And Then She Found Out

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M** (**NC-17**), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human; OOC; Plot is property of **b. krumova**. _©2011-2012._

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then She Found Out_

The night was cold and windy; in contrast with the hot autumn day that had passed. Bella wrapped her hands around herself, trying to keep warm, but failed miserably. Her eyes were solely trained on the ground, her expression solemn. She could hear the mindless chatter coming from the party she just left, she even heard a couple of cat-calls and whistles coming her way, but she was far too gone in misery to care.

A lone tear escaped her eye, but Bella brushed it away quickly. She knew if she broke down, she'd never have the strength to pick herself back up again. Busing her thoughts with the most ridiculous things seemed like a good way to keep her mind off Edward Cullen, but unfortunately, her mind was playing games with her.

Every single thought she had was somehow connected to the man she was so desperately trying to walk away from.

Bella shook her head violently as if that would somehow erase the memories of her _encounter_ with Edward. Remembering every word he had said, she wanted to beat herself up for being so naïve, so vulnerable and so stupid. He had played her and had enjoyed every second of it. Edward may have only intended to use her body, but little did he know he used her heart as well.

Why had she believed on words that even a small child wouldn't fall for? The little bit of self-confidence she had during the evening, was slipping away with every step she took toward her dorm room, taking away the dignity and self-respect she had for herself with it. The thumping of her heart was painful, it almost suffocated her. Every beat she could hear in her ears and every time blood pumped into her system it felt like poison.

Soon enough, she couldn't hear the music, or the laughing anymore. She finally got stillness and the silence she was begging for.

Funnily enough, that was the last thing she wanted.

However, there was nobody there for her. The reality of the situation hit her like a lightening. She was all alone: alone and scared, alone and hurt, alone and humiliated.

Silently, the tears she fought so hard to keep in check fell down her creamy cheeks. There was no one to hold her, no one to tell her everything was going to be okay. That thought depressed her even more, and with the last strength she had in herself, she fought. She fought back the tears as well as the feeling of being used. She struggled with the need to sprint her way to her dorm, desperate to remove every single part of herself from Edward Cullen.

Bella lost the battle tired of fighting anymore.

Her silent tears became impetuous sobs. Her knees shook so hard, they gave away under her weight and she collapsed on the sidewalk, burring her face in her palms. Bella tried so hard to keep herself whole for just a little while longer, but she couldn't.

She didn't know how much time passed since she fell apart. Somewhere along the way her tears stopped falling, leaving only traces of tear-stained cheeks and sniffles. The night had gotten even colder and Bella's teeth clattered together for a while now. The little black dress Alice had lent did nothing to shield her from the cold.

Bella was staring into space, glad and yet disappointed there were no cars or pedestrians passing by her. Her head was resting on her bended knees and her arms were holding her legs close to her chest. Briefly she wondered if she had gotten numb, immune to the pain and the humiliation she was feeling, but the dull ache in between her legs told her she wasn't getting off that easily.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, causing her eyes to widen slightly. Suddenly, every one of her senses was high on attention. Her heart started beating a little faster as she heard someone walking behind her. She prayed with everything that she was that whoever this was, was going to just move past her and leave her alone.

She didn't have such luck though.

As soon as she heard the person behind her stop, she was on her feet. Shoes long forgotten, she tried to walk away unsuspicious, without drawing much attention to herself.

"Hey," she heard a male's voice from behind her. "Are you all right?"

Bella continued walking, but her steps got more hurried, sloppier. She no longer looked at her bare feet, trying to avoid stepping on anything that might hurt her.

"Girl, wait. Come here, I'm not going to hurt you."

As she felt a cold hand touch her shoulder, Bella screamed and only barely acknowledged the look of concern written on the young man's face. She only got a glimpse at him, but he didn't seem much older than she was. Pushing herself beyond her limit, Bella started running away as fast as she could, ignoring the pain in feet. She had trusted enough sweet-talk for one night and she sure wasn't going to fall for someone's Samaritan act again.

A little while later, Bella was unlocking her dorm room and — with shuddered breaths and sobs — ripped the dress she was wearing away from her body. She threw the offensive clothing somewhere in the room, before jumping in the shower faster than she'd ever done.

She adjusted the temperature of the water, purposely making it hotter than usual. Bella wanted to remove every rough touch Edward had placed upon her body, to wash away every place he had touched her. She desperately wanted to scrub away the blood in between her legs, the evidence of her lost virginity.

Bella grabbed her dental hygiene bag she had previously unpacked in the bathroom and quickly took out her toothbrush and paste. She furiously brushed her teeth, trying to remove his taste from her mouth. Bella wanted to scrub her body with steel scouring pad, in desperation to get him off her, to erase his touch.

She wished she could bleach her brain and remove him from her memories.

Too bad, though, she couldn't do such thing.

Bella took her yellow body sponge and put a decent amount of shower gel on it. She squeezed the sponge a few times, until the foam of the soap had formed and began to scrub her body fiercely. Starting with her neck, down her arms, under pits, and her back, Bella left angry red marks all over her skin, inflaming it with her harsh movements. She scrubbed her legs forcefully, her backside as well. In between her tears, she willed herself to stop before continuing washing the rest of her body. She gently ran the sponge over her breasts and between her legs — both places still sore from Edward's ungentle touches.

She repeated the same process over and over again, until her brand new shower gel was empty.

The water in the shower had turned cold by the time Bella was done rinsing her hair for the fifth time, but she didn't step out. She stayed under the cold spray as a punishment, chastising herself for being so unbelievably stupid.

When she couldn't stand the frigid water anymore, she dried herself with a towel quickly, before putting on a long bathrobe. She usually preferred towels to bathrobes, but this time she made an exception. She wanted to cover herself more.

Leaving the bathroom without glancing at her reflection in the mirror, Bella maneuvered herself around the room, trying not to bump herself into a hard surface. She hadn't bothered turning on the lights when she walked in, having been in such a hurry to get to the bathroom.

Locating the dresser on the far end of the room, Bella opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of cotton panties. Letting the bathrobe fall from her shoulders and onto the ground, Bella quickly put her underwear on. Digging through her still unpacked suitcase, she grabbed the first pair of shorts and a shirt she could find and dressed herself quickly, before tossing her wet bathrobe over the back of the chair in front of the vanity table placed in between the two single beds.

Putting a towel on her pillow, trying not to get it wet with her damp hair, Bella slid under the duvet and turned to her side, putting one of her hands under her pillow. She hugged her knees close to her chest, the action making the soreness between her legs a little worse, but she didn't care.

She had to hold herself together if she wanted to survive this.

But then, the ache had a mind of its own. Bella removed the hand that was resting under her head and placed it between her legs so that her wrist was touching her center. Pressing against the juncture between her legs, she winced slightly as the discomfort she was feeling didn't get better.

Taking a deep breath, Bella closed her eyes and willed her unshed tears not to fall. The last thing she wanted was to cry Edward Cullen a river. That man didn't deserve it: not her tears and definitely not her pain.

With gritted teeth and strong will, Bella swallowed the bile that was rising in her throat and promised to herself she'd never let another tear fall for him.

At least after tonight, she added silently, as a small single one slid down her cheek.

One single and alone tear.

Alone, just like Bella.

* * *

The following morning, Bella's restless slumber was disturbed by the ringing of her cell phone. She groaned as the light in the room made her pupils constrict and with several pats on her bedside table, she was finally able to locate her cell phone.

"Hello," she answered her voice coarse and small.

Bella heard a whistle from the other line, followed by a slight chuckle. "You sound awful."

"I feel awful," she replied truthfully. Bella rolled onto her back and pressed her bended elbow to her eyes, shielding them from the daylight.

Jacob hummed. "Are you sick? Have you come down with something?"

"No."

Her curt respond made Jacob furrow his eyebrows. The playful nature of his phone call was long gone as he asked his next question. "What's going on Bella?"

"God, Jake. I messed up."

"What happened, Bella?" Jacob asked, more firmly.

Bella didn't spare any details as she filled her best friend on the worst night of her life. He never stopped her, never made a comment until she let everything she wanted to say out. In times, he barely understood her because her sobs hazed her speech, but for the most part he got everything she wanted to tell him…and it pissed him beyond belief.

"I'll draw out my savings and get the first plane ticket to Boston, Bella. I swear in my mother's grave, I'll kill that son of a bitch that did this to you!"

His voice was menacing and Bella's sobs and tears just put fuel to the fire igniting his anger. His wanted to smash his fist into something — preferably Edward Cullen's face — just to ease some of his anger out.

"No," Bella chocked out.

"What do you mean no? I'm not leaving you alone, Bella! Call that girl Ros…Rosalie and ask her to stay with you until I get there and I _am_ getting there! Don't doubt it for one second!"

Thinking about Rosalie and Emmett — the only good people Bella had encounter since landing — made her cry even harder. They had warned her about Edward, indirectly sure, but they had indeed told her what kind of a person he was, but Bella, being the naïve moron she was fell for his act.

"I can't call them, Jake. Oh, what have a I done?"

Bella cried for the remainder of the phone call, which ended when her battery ran out.

* * *

A week had passed since the "incident."

It took a lot of convicting on Bella's part to restrain Jacob from boarding on a plane, even though he assured her that he had the money to fly there whenever she needed him. He was also the only person Bella spoke to all throughout the week. Alice, true to her word, never stepped foot in the dorm room, keeping Bella away from her presence and leaving her very happy about it.

Alice Cullen was one of the last people she wanted to see anyway.

She felt bad when she left her cell phone go to voice mail yet again when Rosalie called her. Bella had to give the girl credit, though. Even though the former never answered her, she never stopped her tries.

Too bad Bella wanted her to so much.

Ignoring knocks on the door from overly-excited girls, trying to make friends with her and even some more annoying notes slipped from under her door about a party, Bella stayed in her room for most of the week doing absolutely nothing all week, excluding a little outing Bella did in the early hours of a Monday morning to get something to eat.

The next week passed in a similar fashion and before Bella knew it, it was the Sunday before her first day of school. Alice had yet to make an appearance, but Bella really didn't count on it. The girl's obvious priorities didn't lay on education.

Bella rubbed her stomach again when a cramp took her by surprise. She was expecting her period any moment now and that only added to her discomfort. Her breasts were sore and she couldn't stand the thought of putting a bra on.

She glanced at the clock and furrowed her eyebrows when she saw it was barely seven pm. She was dog tired and barely kept her eyes open. Truth be told, she had been feeling fatigue all throughout the week, but never really gave it much thought.

Creating an alarm on her cell phone, Bella slid under the sheets and turned off her bedside lamp, but sleep didn't really came as quickly as she wanted it to. No, instead thoughts of Edward filled her conscious again.

What was he doing? Was he alone? Had he taken another girl in the same bed he had taken her?

Questions like that had filled her mind for the better part of those past two weeks and no matter how much she tried to steer clear of asking herself about him, she couldn't.

The morning came faster than Bella would have wanted it. She was even more tired than when she got to bed, having rested only for a couple of hours.

Edward Cullen took everything from her, including her sleep.

Bella rubbed her stomach again, feeling the cramps making an appearance again. She felt boated and she was pretty sure she was constipated from all the junk food she was feeding herself with lately.

It was a foggy morning, but the sunrays fought hard to break through the thick quilt of the clouds. Bella groaned as she left the comfort of her bed and quickly put her slippers on, before tottering away to the bathroom. She tied her hair in a bun on the top of her head and started with her morning routine, cleansing her face and brushing her teeth. Unconsciously, she pushed aside her unopened box of tampons. With all the problems she had placed upon herself those past two weeks she completely forgot about her menstrual cycle…and the fact she was already a week late.

Being ready in less than twenty minutes, gave Bella enough time to tidy up her room a bit and look at her schedule for the day. It wasn't overly cramped, but she still would have liked to have more time to walk around campus and familiarize herself with the surroundings.

She believed campus was the last place she might bump into Edward Cullen or his sister. They really didn't strike her up as the educational type of people.

Seeing as it was twenty minutes to eight, Bella decided it was time to get going. She had no intention of being late for her very first class and since she had no idea where auditorium B was leaving early seemed like a good plan.

Bella cursed herself for leaving her dorm room at all as soon as she stepped outside, though.

There, on the benches in front of her building were seated Edward and his friends. From the look of it they had a late night out, rather than an early morning. The scattered bottles of beer around them spoke volumes about their state of soberness. Although most of the people seated on the bench were male, there were also a couple of girls with them. One in particular — blonde, tanned and cute — was perched on Edward's lap, trying her hardest to get his attention.

Bella threw up a little in her mouth at the sight before her. Little did that girl know being in Edward's presence wasn't something desirable!

Bella prayed that none of them had seen her and with her head looking at the asphalt she tried her best to walk by as hurriedly as possible.

She hadn't read her horoscope for the day, but she knew if she did, it would've read, "today is the worst day of your life."

Her foot got stuck in between a crack in the pavement and she lost her balance, falling face first on the ground. Obnoxious laughter made her cheeks burn and her eyes sting, but she made no attempt to look up as she hurried to get up.

At that moment a bad cramp hit her and she almost fell back on the ground. With her peripheral vision, she saw that Edward slapped the blonde girl's behind and silently asked her to get off him. He walked over to Bella and squatted down next to her with a devilish smirk on his face.

"Not-so-virgin chick," he said vulgarly. "Missed me, huh?"

Another round of laughter echoed around Bella as silent tears started to stream down her face. She took a deep breath, but that only made her to heave and cough. She felt nauseous as bile started to form in her throat.

"Edward!" she heard a familiar voice call over the laughter. "Cut it off, man."

Bella finally raised her eyes to look at Edward. His cocky demeanor changed in a matter of seconds. The smirk that was previously placed on his lips fell and a deep frown formed in between his eyebrows. For a second, Bella almost believed he looked concerned.

She saw a hand being placed on Edward's shoulder urging him to leave her alone. Bella recognized the person backing Edward off of her as the same one that asked her if she was all right _that_ night.

"Fuck off, Mike," Edward hissed. "Let me have some fun here."

_Mike_ shook his head and pushed Edward away, giving Bella some time to stand up and walk away. She wasted no time and quickly pulled herself from the ground before continuing down her path without a second glance back.

Bella ran like crazy to one of the community bathrooms and emptied her stomach. She tried to control her breathing, but she couldn't.

She missed her first class that day.

As another week passed, Bella didn't see Edward anywhere, for which she was glad. She was so disgusted with herself for missing that first class. She never let anything or anyone stop her from getting into college from her educational purposes and she wasn't going to start now just because of someone.

Bella hadn't seen Alice for three weeks already. Not that she missed her, not at all. Bella just had the uncontrollable urge to punch her in the face. Her hormones have been all over the place for a while now and she needed to calm down before she snapped.

It was a Friday evening and as usual, Bella was crying in her bed. There had been obnoxious knocking on her door for the past half-an-hour but the last thing she wanted was to speak to another sorority recruiter and how "fun" and "great" the life in the "sisterhood" was.

A loud crash startled her and she jumped up in her bed expecting the worst: Edward. As she turned around to see her invader she was met with the concerned eyes of Rosalie and Emmett's heavy breaths.

Apparently he was the one to break down the door.

"Bella, what the fuck," Rosalie said, running to her side and hugging her close. "We came to see you and kept knocking on that door. We heard the crying and we were done for."

Emmett's face hardened when he saw the distress written all over Bella's face. "What's going on Bella? You've been avoiding us for weeks and we found you in a crying fit. Did someone hurt you?"

As Rosalie caressed Bella's hair, the latter began to tell her story.

The room had gotten deadly silent by the time Bella was done telling them everything from the party to the last time she saw Edward. Rosalie had walked over to the window at some point, having heard enough and knowing the end of the story long before Bella finished talking.

Emmett was staring at his girlfriend, his jaw clenched. Million thoughts and awful memories filled his mind as rage filled his body like venom.

"I'm going to kill him," he said calmly. "It's as simple as that."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and snapped at him. "Stop that bullshit. Do you really think empty threats are what she needs to hear at the moment? She had done something stupid, sure, but you're not really giving her a supportive shoulder to cry on!"

"Are you defending him?"

Rosalie threw her hands up in aggravation. "You only hear what you want to, don't you Emmett? All I said was that you're not helping her in any way. Obviously, he had hurt her otherwise she wouldn't be in her room crying three weeks in a row! You're only adding to her anxiety and therefore _not helping_!"

"Did you at least cover it up?" he asked Bella, who seemed oblivious to the tension in the air between the couple. "That son of a bitch probably carries a million diseases!"

Bella's eyes widened as thoughts of her missed period started to fill her mind. Rosalie saw her disturbance and immediately walked over to her side, rubbing her shoulders. "He's not carrying any STDs, Bella. Emmett's overreacting."

"That's not what concerns me," she breathed out. "I'm late. _Really_ late. I was ovulating when…oh, God! How can I be so stupid?"

"Hey, hey, relax," Rosalie said, grabbing her wrists and stopping Bella from hurting herself. "Look B. you could be wrong. Stress can make your period late. How about I go to the drug store and grab some pregnancy tests, okay?"

Bella shook her head. "I don't want to be alone."

"You're not. Emmett's right here and he'll be on his best behavior, I promise." Rosalie gave Emmett a warning look, before grabbing her purse and disappearing down the stairs.

As soon as the cold night's air hit her, Rosalie couldn't help but think back about her time with Edward. Back in high school, they were sweethearts, inlove or at least that was what Rosalie wanted to believe in. Even after she caught him receiving fellatio on the back seat of _her_ car, she still believed that what they had was real.

Upon walking into the drugstore, Rosalie bumped hard into someone. Two strong hands wrapped around her to steady her and a familiar scent filled Rosalie's nostrils.

She didn't have to look up to know it was Edward.

"Well, well, well," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Miss Rosalie Hale. What do I own the honor of being in your presence?"

Elbowing him hard in her ribs, Rosalie hissed, "Don't touch me."

Edward chuckled and followed Rosalie into the drugstore. "Why? You'd have that idiot you're dating kick my ass? Been there, done that."

"Just leave me alone, Cullen. The last thing I want is to be around you right now."

Sneaking his hand around her waist, Edward pushed Rosalie in the nearby shelves, before encaging her in between his arms. He licked his lips and smiled as he saw Rosalie's pupils dilate. He had always been able to recognize the telltale signs of her arousal — after all he had taken advantage of it for two years. Edward also knew the extend of Rosalie's feelings for him. She was a lovesick fool and boyfriend or not she was never able to decline him.

He leaned down and ran his nose over hers. "How about we get out of here, hmm? It's been a while since I've made your kitty purr, Rose."

"Get off me, Edward, please."

Edward chuckled and playfully pressed his fist to her jaw. "Call me if you want to feel a real man again," he said before walking away from her and out of the store.

Taking several moments to stop her beating heart, Rosalie grabbed several pregnancy tests and ran to the cashier to pay for them. Edward had been right, she still loved him and that thought troubled her.

Her feelings have already made her cheat on Emmett once, she could only hope her heart won't win over her mind again.

Rosalie rushed back to the dorm rooms, making silent prayers in her mind. The last thing Bella needed in her life was this. Rosalie hoped Edward hadn't been so stupid and had actually used a condom.

As soon as she was back in the room, Bella closed herself in the bathroom. Deafening silence fell between Rosalie and Emmett as each of them had a lot on their mind. Had Emmett known Edward Cullen would cause so many problems in the future he would have been merciless when he had beat him up four years ago.

Five minutes later, a scream broke the silence between Rosalie and Emmett.

Bella came back to the room, crying and clutching the pregnancy test.

"Positive," she breathed, before collapsing to the ground.

* * *

_Reviews are much appreciated. You can find links to my Facebook group and Twitter on my profile._


	4. And Then She Gave Birth

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M** (**NC-17**), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human; OOC; Plot is property of **b. krumova**. _©2011-2012._

_**Author's Note:** For the sake of this fiction, Bella's birthday is on July 13th._

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then She Gave Birth_

Ever since she was a little girl Bella Swan dared to dream. The fairytale stories she created for herself were the only thing that got het through her lonely childhood years. She hoped that one day she'd have the live she had painted for herself in her fantasies: a picture filled with rich colors, vivid brush strokes and scenic landscapes. She hoped she'd live in a cozy house near the beaches of Phoenix, Florida. Bella had always loved the heat and the ocean, but she rarely saw much of it having grown up in Forks: the rainiest town in Continental US.

Bella hoped she'd get to do what she wanted for a living. She's have a nine to five job and still have enough time to be with her children and her husband, to love and to be loved in the way she'd only read in the romantic books she was escaping reality with.

Now, however, clutching the positive pregnancy test in her hands she knew that dreams never came true. Fairytales didn't exist.

Her tears were blurring the lines on the white plastic stick that indeed confirmed her biggest fears. She was pregnant, she was barely nineteen and she was expecting the child of the person she hated the most.

Bella didn't know if the universe was playing a sick joke on her, or if she was simply punished for her stupidity and her mistakes.

Rosalie's eyes welled up as she saw her friends fall down to her knees, defeated from the news she just got. Emmett swallowed his anger and hid the urge to send something flying over to the wall. Instead, he walked over to the crying girl on the ground and picked her up in her arms, encircling her within his protective grasp. Bella held onto his tee shirt as if her life depended on it, allowing her tears to fall heavily down her cheeks and soak through his shirt.

"Hey, come on, Bella." Emmett caressed the back of her head. "This can't be good for you, or the…the baby."

Another wave of fresh tears caused Bella to break down further. The seriousness of the situation she found herself in overwhelmed her. Her breaths came in rasps, as the invisible force of the newfound responsibility she was faced with chocked her.

"Bella, come on," Emmett said more forcefully. "We'll take care of it."

Bella — who prior to that simply started into space — snapped her eyes toward her friend's.

Her chocolate brown eyes hardened. "How exactly do you play on _taking care of it_, Emmett?"

Bella pushed herself away from Emmett and raised her watery eyes to meet his. Finding himself between a rock and a hard place, the young man simply threw his hands in the air in frustration and sat on the bed, burrowing his head in his hands.

"You're keeping it." Rosalie stated.

The blonde woman's heart felt like it weights a ton. The heartburn that spread throughout her entire body filled her with preposterous anger. Roughly, she ran her fingers through her hair and clenched her fists on the sides, trying to shake herself away from the meaningless feeling of betrayal she was feeling.

She knew that her relationship with Edward was over. That, however, didn't stop the malevolence from making an appearance.

Something in Rosalie's voice made Bella cringe. "Yes, I'm keeping it."

"So, does that mean you're leaving Harvard?" Emmett asked.

Bella shook her head. "I made a silent promise to myself that I would never skip class again because of _him_. I'm staying here and I'm having the baby."

"You do know the word about your pregnancy will spread like a plague, right?" Rosalie asked, raising her eyebrow. "There's no hiding it."

Emmett, previously oblivious to his girlfriend's bellicosity glared at her over his shoulder. "People hide their pregnancy all the time, Rosalie. It's nothing she can't do if that's what she wants!"

The room fell silent. Bella walked over to Alice's bed, seeing as hers was taken and lied down on her side. Everything felt so surreal, like a dream. She believed that she was going to wake up any moment now and see that everything was just a fruit of her imagination.

Rosalie cleared her throat, breaking the deafening silence. "I'll…um…my gynecologist has connections at Spaulding Hospital. I'll give her a call and ask her for recommendation of the best OBGYN in the field, okay?"

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Bella nodded. "Thank you, Rose."

Bella didn't know what the story between Emmett, Rosalie and Edward entailed, but something told her that it was more than simple clash of opinions. There was something more, something than ran deeper that they allowed her to know.

Whatever it was, it gave Bella a bad feeling.

"Have you considered telling him? Emmett asked.

"Of course not!" Bella rejected that thought immediately. Even the thought of telling Edward made her nauseous. She didn't know what he would say, but he surely wouldn't kiss her and tell her how happy he was.

"Do you need something, Bella? I can run and buy you ice-cream or whatever you pregnant chicks want," Emmett suggested.

Bella smiled. "I think I'm too early in the pregnancy for cravings, Emmett, but thank you."

"What do you want to do now?" Rose asked.

Bella sighed and lied down on the bed. "It's not what I _want_, but it's what I _need_ to do."

"What is it?" Emmett asked.

"I have to call Jacob," Bella breathed, closing her eyes. What would she tell Jacob?

* * *

The night was hard, but the cold September morning was pure torture.

Bella sat on her office chair in front of her desk and just starred at her cell phone.

Emmett had left only minutes ago, after fixing her door. He didn't do much damage to the lock, so the fixing took no more than half an hour.

Bella was alone in her room, now, trying to gather the courage to pick up her phone and call Jacob. She tried to imagine how their conversation would go, but she always came back empty. Jake was famous with his spontaneous decisions and actions.

With a deep breath, she grabbed her phone from the desk and called Jacob. The line rang twice before he answered.

"She lives! I called you three times last night. Everything okay?"

A million thoughts passed through Bella's head. She imagined herself telling him the news slowly, carefully, easing up to the words that would change both their lives forever. She imagined telling him she would be fine, that Emmett and Rosalie would be by her side at all times. Bella imagined having a small talk with him first.

Nothing like that happened.

"Jake, I'm pregnant!" she said, hurriedly.

The only sound from the other line was the sound, indicating that the person had hung up.

Bella stayed, with her cell to her ear, listening to the dial sound. She didn't move an inch for what seemed like hours.

Her best friend hung up on her. Even Jake didn't want to have anything to do with her.

Just when she thought she couldn't become more broken.

Bella tossed her cell on the floor, before running to the comfort of her bed. She clutched her pillow so tightly, as if her life depended on it. She was so tired of crying, this seemed to be the only thing she had done since she got here, but she couldn't stop. The tears stung her eyes and she just let it all out.

Her hand went to her stomach and rubbed gently.

"I'll take care of you baby. I won't let anything hurt you," she whispered, caressing her stomach and finally drifting off to sleep.

Her sleep was broken when she felt a warm, massive hand encircle her waist from behind and caress the hand that was resting on her stomach. She opened her eyes, closing them immediately, trying to adjust her pupils to the light in the room. She cautiously turned around to see the person who hugged her. She was met by the warm brown eyes of her best friend.

"I told you I was only a phone call away," he whispered, stroking the remainder of her tears from her cheeks.

For the first time in four weeks, Bella allowed a spark of hope to ignite a fire of hopefulness. She wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

A week had passed since Jacob's arrival at Cambridge. He had met Rosalie and Emmett within hours of his landing, thanking them profusely for taking care of Bella when he wasn't around. During the whole exchange, Bella felt like a child who had been watched by the neighbors while her parents were at work.

Looking for an apartment off campus was the first thing on Jacob's list. It was more than obvious that they couldn't stay in the dorms. This child deserved the closest thing to a family environment they could manage to give him.

Finding an apartment, though, wasn't as easy as Jacob expected it to be.

He was walking back to Bella's dorm with solemn face when he saw an advertisement flyer about a job position in one of the best automobile companies in the country today. A slight glimmer of hope made his eyes sparkle as he hoped a mechanic's position would be available. At that point, Jacob was ready to work for the minimal work salary just to be able to provide for Bella and the child that was on the way.

Upon stepping in the company, Jacob stuck up a conversation with one of the employees there, asking him random questions about the available position that the company was looking an employee for.

Little did Jacob know he was talking to the employment manager in the company — Michael Stevens. He took immediate liking for Jacob's personality and his flare and drive to work. Within the hour, both of them were seated in Michael's office while — unbeknown to Jacob — the former was doing his interview.

When Mr. Stevens informed Jacob he was given the job of consultant in one of their auto-body show rooms, the latter almost teared up. When Jacob was presented with his employment papers and the work benefits he was given he couldn't believe it.

Most importantly, though, he was given a great family health insurance package, one that he undoubtedly would allow Bella to use.

With a smug look on his face he had made his way back to the dorms to share with Bella the news. Bella immediately refused to use Jake's health insurance benefits. She said she had her own, not as good as Jake's, but she said she wouldn't touch it. Jacob used the trick that seemed to win all of his arguments lately.

"It's not for you, Bella. It's for the baby," Jacob had said.

Bella of course, budged…since it's for the baby.

Jacob was slowly, but effectively moving everything Bella owned to their new apartment. He had received a big check from his first week at work and with some financial help from Rosalie and Emmett, their two-bedroom apartment was now decorated with class and style, the walls painted, and the baby's room decorated with everything needed.

Bella was alone at her dorm for the last time. She was looking around to see if she had forgotten something and was just about to leave the room when the door opened revealing the last person she thought she would see.

Alice Cullen walked into the room, her fake smile in place, dressed in a little cheap hooker outfit and awfully applied makeup.

"Hey!" she slurred. Bella rolled her eyes. "You're the chick that hooked up with my brother. Well, technically he's not my brother—"

"What do you mean he's not your brother?" Bella asked, suddenly intrigued by the conversation.

Alice groaned and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to her, indicating where she wanted Bella to sit. Bella remained at her previous place.

"Whatever. See the thing is, my mother used to be a whore," Alice said.

At that, Bella had to snort. Apparently that quality ran in the Cullen's family.

"My mom was a whore and right after she got married to my dad, she fucked some CEO or whatever, causing her to get pregnant with Edward. My dad never got over it and keeps putting the blame on Edward for my mom's transgression. He's always hated my brother. Always. And I'm talking about a super hate! Eddie's never had a father figure in his life. I was daddy's little girl, all the love went to me. Edward has been thrown to the dogs his entire life. Even mom doesn't like him."

Bella felt a sudden rush of sadness. Her own father wasn't a father-of-the-year nominee, but at least she had him. She couldn't stop her mind from going to the thought of how similar she and Edward were in that situation. Her father blamed her for her mother's death, whilst Edward's 'father' blamed him for his mother's infidelity.

Both things neither Bella, nor Edward had control of whatsoever.

"Alice I'm moving out," Bella said. She was here anyway, why not tell her. Not that she would miss her or anything, she had seen her twice in her life.

"You were living here?" Alice asked.

Bella just rolled her eyes and grabbed her handbag. When she turned to say goodbye to Alice she saw her drooling on her pillow and snorting not-so cute and womanly.

With a sigh, Bella left the room and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Bella and Jacob had been living together for two months when they had their first fight. Jacob's salary had been more than enough to support both of them and even with the luxuries he pampered himself with, there was still a hefty sum left in his bank account every month.

Usually, things went smoothly between them until one day Bella's hormones escalated. Jacob had decided to surprise her by buying her a brand new Saab 9—4X SUV. Bella, feeling bad enough for all the money he spent on her already, went ballistic. The initial anger and frustration were replaced with a heartbreaking sobs and tremors. Jacob had stood there stupefied as he saw his best friend stutter in between her cries.

Only days later, Bella's had her first ultrasound. With the help of Rosalie, Bella had saw and consulted with three different OBGYNs before finally choosing Doctor Cameron. The young mother-to-be had been very adamant about her gynecologist's gender. Shying away from men her entire life and having her first sexual experience with someone like Edward Cullen caused her to feel uncomfortable in the presence of the opposite gender.

Her first ultrasound had been nerve-wracking. Although she had Jacob by her side, when the nurse called her name, she felt like she was going to throw up. Even though she knew she was pregnant something about the fact that this appointment was going to confirm it shacked her to the core.

There was no denying it anymore. Her unborn baby was actually a real person.

Minutes before Doctor Cameron walked into the exam room, Bella was a nervous wreck. The thought she was going to see her baby for the first time both excited and scared her. Once the doctor made an appearance Bella quickly undressed and sat on the chair, raising her legs in the stirrups. Jacob skipped that part of the exam, telling Bella that this would cross the best friend boundaries.

By the time the doctor squeezed the gel on Bella's stomach Jacob was called into the room. He immediately went to Bella's head, encasing her shoulders with one of his arms, and holding her hand in his.

As soon as the doctor made contact with Bella's stomach an undeniable image was plastered on the screen for them to see: her baby.

The sound of a heartbeat echoed around the room.

"Here's your baby, Bella," Doctor Cameron said, stopping her movements on Bella's belly. She pointed at a little black peanut-looking smudge on the screen.

Bella's heart grew two times bigger, suddenly filling with the undying love she felt for her child. She never believed in love at first sight, but she saw how wrong she was. She loved the little peanut more than she loved herself.

"Heartbeat is 167, rapid, but perfectly normal," the doctor said. She looked around to see if there were any problems with the fetus, but there were none.

She removed the ultrasound pad from Bella and gave her a tissue to clean herself with. Doctor Cameron pressed a few buttons on the ultrasound machine, printing the first picture of Bella's baby.

"What should I write about a name? Baby Swan?" Doctor Cameron asked.

"Baby Cullen-Swan," Bella mumbled. She felt Jacob tense next to her, but he kept the comment for himself. They had the same conversation more times this past month than Bella had dinner and it was tiring her.

When Bella got into the fourth month of pregnancy, she had gained a few pounds. Her breasts had grown bigger and her flat stomach now had a small bulge right below her navel.

She kept going to classes and no one noticed her changes. Of course, she was still early in the pregnancy, but she was also different from before.

Not that there was anyone she was close with to notice the changes.

One evening when Bella got home, Jacob had fallen asleep on the couch. He had taken his shirt off, leaving his muscular torso naked. Bella suddenly felt flushed. Her entire body reacted to the semi-naked man lying on the couch. She had read that during the thirteenth week of pregnancy, you could develop a sudden sexual appetite, but she never thought that would happen to her.

She's only had sex once in her entire life—without being able to reach an orgasm—and then got pregnant.

Bella felt wetness gathering in between her thighs and before she knew what she was doing, her pregnancy hormones took over. She walked to the couch and gently woke Jacob up.

"Hey what're doin—" he began, but was cut-off by Bella's lips against his.

At first he had no idea what was happening. He had kissed Bella before, but it was nothing like that kiss. That kiss was sensual, indicating things would progress. Jacob didn't know how to push her away without hurting her feeling, but he also didn't want them to get there. This would just ruin their perfect friendship and he couldn't have that.

Bella's hand reached down to cup him through his jeans and Jacob involuntary hissed. His cock hadn't been touched by anyone, but himself, and somehow the feeling of a woman's touch made him hard and crazy with need.

Initial thoughts about maintaining friendship be damned. They were playing family after all.

He grabbed Bella by the waist and lifted her from the floor, making her lie down on the couch. He hovered on top of her and kissed her full lips again. He positioned himself between her legs, creating friction exactly where Bella needed to.

She needed it, but not by him.

She opened her eyes and looked at Jacob who was now kissing her neck. She felt so wrong doing it, not so much because it was Jacob: more, because it _wasn't_ Edward.

Not long after that she was crying. Jake had stopped kissing her neck and looked into her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worried. He thought he had hurt her somehow, God as his witness he had no idea how to handle a woman.

"I-I… I can't," Bella sobbed, pushing Jacob away from her and running to her bedroom.

Stupid pregnancy hormones!

Neither Bella, nor Jacob mentioned what had almost happened again.

* * *

By the time Bella was in her fifth month of pregnancy, she had gained fifteen pounds and her own clothes no longer fit her. She began wearing more and more loose clothing. She thanked God it was winter and she didn't look weird wearing so many clothes to hide her weight.

Jacob kept working and making more money he seemed to only want to spend on the baby. Bella and Jacob talked about the baby a lot. Bella asked Jacob to be his Godfather since Rosalie was already set to be the Godmother.

Jokingly, Jacob reminded her of her promise to name her firstborn after him.

This is how she decided to find out the sex of the baby.

Bella and Jacob had gone to the routine ultrasound the next day and when Doctor Cameron asked about knowing the baby's sex, Bella said yes.

"Well Bella, you'll be having a son," Doctor Cameron said, pointing at the little 'third hand' as Jake called it. Bella burst in tears and imagined a beautiful baby boy with copper messy hair and green eyes.

About six months of pregnancy, Bella had made Jake crazy. She had strange cravings all the time. She wanted to drink more coffee than allowed and cried when she didn't get her way. She craved watermelons and since it was February, that was impossible. Jake had paid a healthy sum for some frozen watermelons which tasted like feet, but Bella seemed to enjoy it.

And she ate more chocolate than an average person did in a year.

All Bella wanted to do was eat everything. She wasn't specific. She could eat eggs, bacon, lasagna, salads, fruits, sweets and chips, it didn't matter, as long as she ate something.

She had gained a good twenty-two pounds since she'd gotten pregnant, but was able to hide herself well. No one noticed her pregnancy and she still went to each class regularly.

Bella looked herself in the mirror one morning and actually saw a beautiful woman. She turned from side to side and really looked at herself. She had read that pregnancy makes you glow and actually makes you look beautiful, but she never thought that would be her case.

One day she was walking to class, looking at her feet and didn't see the person before her. She crashed into a muscular chest and before she could lose her balance, a pair of strong arms held her to steady.

The smell of the person was intoxicating.

Familiar.

Orgasmic.

_Edward_.

Involuntarily, her hands went to her stomach. She had imagined how their meeting would go if they ever came across each other again too many times to remember. Their encounters alternated between being rage-filled and humiliating and simply insignificantly. Most of the times she envisaged he'd pass by her and not even bother to spare a second glance in her direction.

Looking at his eyes, however, made her think none of that would happen. A deep line had formed in between his thick eyebrows since the moment they collided. Bella swallowed hard, wondering if he had felt the baby.

"Do I know you?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

Bella was enraged. After everything he had done to her: humiliated her, broke her, impregnate her he still didn't recognize her.

Clenching her fists on the sides, she spat, "Stay away from me!"

She didn't look over her shoulder as she walked away from him.

* * *

When Bella was almost five weeks away to giving birth, most of the seniors were already done with classes and only had to take their final exams. Rosalie was studying like crazy for her finals and didn't even leave her and Emmett's apartment. Bella had to go and see Rose, since Rosalie wanted to talk to Bella's belly.

Both Bella and Rosalie found the perfect way for Rose not to stop her studying and still talk to the baby. While Bella was resting, Rose was sitting close to her stomach and talking to the baby about the Constitutional Rights and death sentences.

One day Bella was walking back to the apartment when she felt lightheaded. Everything started spinning and she could feel the blood rushing from her face, but before she could fall to the ground someone steadied her to her feet.

"Hey, you all right?" he asked. The voice sounded so familiar.

"I'm not sure," she mumbled, before everything went black.

Bella woke up in a very comfortable and familiar bed. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at her surroundings. Dark walls, huge bed with clinical white sheets, clothes spilled to the floor.

The scent.

She was in Edward's room.

Bella almost jumped from the bed, but her stomach stopped her fast movements. She also saw that her baggy sweater was not covering her stomach and she was now very much exposed.

A light knocking from the other side of the door almost made her go into cardiac arrest. The door opened slightly and a messy blonde haired head peaked inside.

"Hey," he greeted. Bella immediately recognized him. Mike, his name was; the boy that helped her that day at the benches, the same one that asked her if she was all right _that_ night.

"Hey," Bella said, worriedly.

He smiled at her and walked into the room, locking the door after him. Bella suddenly felt very scared. She had watched way too many movies about crazy fathers not wanting their babies.

"Please don't hurt me," Bella begged.

Mike looked at her with wide eyes, before raising his hands in surrender.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I scared you. I just wanted to talk to you."

After a long time, Bella nodded.

The boy walked to the bed and sat on the far end of it. "I assume the baby is Edward's?"

"No!" Bella rejected immediately.

"I'm not going to tell him. He doesn't deserve it, anyway. I know what he did to you, how he treated you. He doesn't deserve to be a father!"

Bella stared at the boy for the longest time. What was his deal? And why was she in his bed?

"What am I doing here?" Bella asked.

Mike chuckled. "As weird as it may sound, he is my best friend. We're living together. My room is a mess, so I decided to get you in his."

"Who are you?" Bella asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm Mike. Mike Newton."

"Bella Swan."

"That's a beautiful name."

Bella chuckled humorlessly. "The Cullen family can't seem to remember it."

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Bella. This is the way Edward is, the way he has always been. He's a dick. He's selfish, miserable, and he hurts people for the pleasure of it. He has never had a steady relationship. He hates women and takes his anger out on them because of his mother."

"So, it's not just me?" Bella asked.

"My apologies, Bella, but you're nothing special to him. Again, I'm saying it with no hard feelings."

Bella nodded and looked down. "You really won't tell him?"

Mike shook his head. "This baby is better off without him. Trust me Bella, Edward is dangerous. Keep that child as far away from him as possible." Mike warned.

"I'm sorry, Mike, but I don't understand. If that's your opinion of him, why are you his best friend?"

Mike smiled a little smile. "Even the bastards like Edward need a friend, Bella."

Mike helped Bella get dressed and walked her to her apartment. They talked a little about the baby and how she was going to raise it. Bella actually liked Mike. He was nothing like she imagined Edward's associate would be. They exchanged numbers and Bella promised to call him once the baby was born.

Once inside the apartment Bella smiled.

Not everyone who looked like Edward Cullen was as bad as he was.

* * *

Graduation came faster than anyone wanted. Rosalie had taken all of her exams and was now sitting with the seniors getting her diploma. Bella and Emmett were in the public, cheering for her. Jake wanted to come as well, but since he had a very big client at work, he couldn't skip it. Emmett had promised to film the whole thing and then let Jake see it.

It was fairly warm inside, since it was June, but still Bella was wearing one of Jake's huge hoodies. Since she was nine month pregnant and expected the baby any day now, she had to hide her enormous stomach.

She was laughing with Emmett and they cheered like crazy when the dean called Rosalie's name on the stage to receive her diploma. She was smiling and bowing, thanking everyone who came there for her. Emmett was more than loud, screaming "This is his baby" and "I'm going to marry that woman one day."

Bella and Emmett sat back on their seats, while Rosalie stayed with the rest of her classmates until the end of the graduation.

Bella's blood ran cold when a specific name was called to the stage.

"Edward Daniel Cullen," the Head of the University said on the microphone.

_Daniel_. Bella had been toying with the idea of naming her child this way, unknowing it was Edward's middle name. Watching the father of her child walking on stage, being cheered from everyone in the audience caused a feeling of melancholy to overwhelm her. She wondered what it would have been like if Edward wasn't the cold-hearted man she knew him to be; if he was sweet and gentle and actually cared about the fact that his own flesh and blood was growing within her womb. She'd have been happy for him, cheering loudly. He'd have smiled at her and waved from the stage, before running back to her and kissing her soundly on the lips.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she felt a rush of water come from deep inside her.

"Oh, oh, oh!" she exclaimed, grabbing Emmett's elbow.

"What B? What's going on?" he asked, worried.

"My water just broke," she mumbled and clenched her stomach.

Emmett's eyes went wide and he lost all motor and brain function.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he screeched.

Bella glared at him. "Call an ambulance and call Jake!"

Emmett jumped from his seat and called 911. At that time, Mike, who had already taken his diploma saw Bella's distress and ran to her to see how she was doing. She told him that it was time and Mike almost collapsed right there. Bella begged him to think of a story to cover up for her in front of Edward because he sure as hell would have questions about who the ambulance was for.

Bella felt her first contraction and it wasn't all that bad. It felt more like a really bad menstrual cramp. When Emmett came back to her, he told her that the ambulance would be there within ten minutes.

Her contractions were five minutes apart and were getting worse. When Bella heard the sirens, Emmett grabbed her into his arms and walked with her to the back of the ambulance. The paramedics took out a stretcher and Emmett placed Bella on it. She was soon in the back of the ambulance with Emmett next to her, holding her hand.

Rosalie had heard what happened and who the ambulance was for, then immediately put two and two together. She ran to her car and started it, ready to follow the ambulance as soon as they drove to the hospital. She also called Jacob to let him know that Bella went in labor.

During all of this, Mike had made his way to Edward.

"Who's the ambulance for?" Edward asked. He was more than intrigued who would need an ambulance in the middle of his graduation.

"Don't bother yourself, Edward." Mike chuckled. "Your fake concern won't impress anybody."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "It's simple curiosity, Newton."

Mike brushed him off and went to speak with his family. Meanwhile, his best friend's reaction intrigued Edward. He walked over to the ambulance and only caught a glimpse of the person on the gurney.

The virgin chick.

Edward ran to the ambulance, assuring himself that neither Emmett nor Rosalie would see him and stood next to the driver's door. Once the paramedic walked back to the side door, he saw Edward.

"Look boy, I have a girl I need to take to the hospital immediately. Move," the paramedic hissed.

Edward smirked and handed the paramedic four hundred bucks and a piece of paper.

"This is my cell number. I don't want any further information and I don't care about any details. All I want is a text message saying 'She's okay' or 'She's not okay'. Got it?" Edward asked.

The paramedic looked at the bills in his head and nodded. It wasn't like he was giving any special information. The kid just wanted to know if she was all right.

Edward turned around and disappeared into the crowd of people, while the ambulance drove off.

He wanted to know of simple curiosity, not because he cared.

He tried to assure himself that all the way back to his apartment.

* * *

"Okay sweetie, I need you to push now!" Doctor Cameron said.

Bella was driven to the hospital and by the time she was prepared for the birth she was ten centimeters dilated.

Jacob had arrived seconds before and stood next to Bella's head immediately, encouraging and telling her she would finally be a mommy.

The first push was the hardest. Bella felt as the baby slowly, but effectively made his way out. At one point Jacob went to see how the baby was doing and almost collapsed at the sight before him.

After millions of death threats to shut up, Bella pushed a few more times until she heard the most amazing sound in the world.

Her child was crying.

Her child was breathing.

Her child was now out in the world.

She was a mother.

"It's a boy," the doctor said, giving Jacob the scissors to cut the cord. The baby was taken to be washed and Bella immediately felt the loss. She had lived with him inside of her for nine months, and now, even the slightest separation was physically painful.

Once the baby was washed and placed in a blue blanket, the nurse came back to the room and placed the baby on Bella's chest.

"Hey," Bella said in between shuddered breaths. "Hey, baby. I'm your mommy and I love you so much."

She kissed his small nose and the scent of baby smell hit her nose. She began crying harder and just caressing the baby's small head.

"So, what's his name?" the doctor asked.

"Jacob," Jacob answered proudly.

"Actually," Bella said. "It's Daniel Jacob."

"Daniel Jacob?" Emmett asked.

"DJ? I love it!" Rose said.

"Yeah, me too. What's with the sudden love for the name Daniel?" Jacob asked.

Rosalie's eyes snapped at Bella's. Rose was all too aware of Edward Cullen's middle name, but she decided to keep her mouth shut.

"Welcome to the world, Daniel Jacob Swan," the doctor greeted.

Bella never felt more joyful.

* * *

Edward came home and called his mother to tell her about graduating. She sure as hell didn't deserve it, but she was his mother and graduating from college was an experience he wanted to share with her.

He sat on his bed and dialed the number he hadn't for months.

"Cullen residence," a male voice answered after the third ring.

Edward's blood rushed to his face with sudden rage. He hated Carlisle Cullen with more passion than he even hated anyone. That son of a bitch had ruined his life. He blamed him for Esme's infidelity and he hated him for simply not being his flesh and blood.

During his entire childhood Edward was taken for granted by his mother and "father."

"Where's mom?" Edward asked.

"Oh, the prodigal son decided to give his mommy a call, huh?"

"Just get the bitch to answer the phone," Edward spat.

Carlisle chuckled darkly."Take it easy, here, talk to your lovely mother!"

Edward was angrier than he had ever remembered being. He heard Carlisle and Esme yelling at each other on the other side of the line.

"What?" Esme snapped.

"I graduated!" Edward hissed.

"Good for you! Now, is there anything you want to say to me?"

"Is there anything you want to say to me?"

"What would I have to talk to you about?"

"I don't know, maybe tell me that you're proud of me! I just graduated from the best college in the wo—"

The line disconnected before he even finished his sentence.

Edward was filled with sudden rage. He broke trophies, picture frames, windows and everything that stood in his way. He smashed his bedside lamp into the mirror placed on the wall and laughed cynically.

Yet another seven years of misery.

He stopped his destruction just to have a breath. It was enough to hear the sound of a text message arriving.

He grabbed the phone from his bed and opened the message.

"She's okay!" was all that was written.

Those three words made a small smile dance across Edward's face.

* * *

_Reviews are much appreciated. You can find links to my Facebook group and Twitter on my profile._


	5. And Then Daniel Said It

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M** (**NC-17**), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human; OOC; Plot is property of **b. krumova**. _©2011-2012._

_**Author's Note:** There are several time-jumps in this chapter. Please be aware of that._

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then Daniel Said It_

"Bella, he is absolutely gorgeous. Those sweet puffy cheeks, small baby fingers and winkled sweet face, oh God, he's adorable. I'm afraid I'm going to squish him if I hold him any tighter," Rosalie said in awe, holding her future godson close to her body.

Bella had given birth two hours ago, and after Daniel Jacob was checked by the pediatrician, he was finally brought to his mother. Bella cried when he was placed on her chest again. She said sweet words, made promises of bright future for him and kissed his barely covered with hair head.

Her son was twenty-one inches on height and seven pounds of weight. He was covered in a little blue blanket, and a small white hat. Bella removed the hat from his head for as long as she was holding him, just to kiss his forehead and smell his unique scent.

She was his mother. She was going to keep him warm.

Emmett and Jacob were sent on different kinds of errands. Emmett had to go to Jake and Bella's apartment and collect the bags Bella had prepared for when she went into labor. Jake was instructed to call Charlie and let him know he had a grandson.

To everyone's — and mostly Bella's — surprise, Charlie had been very interested in his grandson's well being. He questioned Jacob on Bella's and the baby's well-being, asked if there were any complications whilst his daughter was giving birth and even requested to speak to Bella whenever she could. Charlie wished Bella and the baby a long and happy life, filled with love and happiness.

"So," Rosalie started, nonchalant. She was building the courage to have this conversation with Bella since the moment she named her child. "What did you put Edward's name in Danny's one?"

Bella looked up at Rosalie, but her eyes settled on her bundle of joy. She smiled warmly when she saw her son clenching his fists slowly, as if he was looking for something.

After a second, she responded to Rosalie, "Technically, I put his middle name." Her eyes never left the baby's face.

"Bella," Rosalie sight, irritated.

"What do you want me to say, Rosalie? I'm nineteen — soon to be twenty — with an infant in my arms. I have no husband, no boyfriend, no income and another three years in Harvard I want to complete. I'm wreck. I'm not now, and never would regret having Daniel, but I'm scared. You think I don't know that Edward doesn't deserve it? Of course he doesn't. All Edward Cullen deserves is to rot in the worst circle of Hell. You won't understand me, Rose, but I _needed_ that. I needed my son to have some sort of a…_connection_ with his father…for the future…I don't know. I know that this is not something you or the boys get, but could you please, let it be?"

Rosalie looked at her friend. She could see the trail of tears sliding down Bella's cheeks. Bella never looked at Rose while she said her piece. Her eyes couldn't leave her son's ones.

Bella outstretched her arms and Rosalie placed Daniel in his mother's embrace. Bella's smile brightened as her son's big eyes looked at her with wonder. The gel the obstetrician had put on his eyelids were making them shine whenever the fluorescent light hit them.

Giving up on the subject, Rosalie said, "I'm sorry, Bella. I couldn't even imagine how hard this must be for you."

"What has to be hard for her?" Jacob asked, coming into the room. "I'll take care of her and my man. He has a bad-ass uncle to look after him." Jacob walked to Bella's bed with a big bouquet of lilies. He kissed her forehead and gently pressed his lips to Daniel's temple. "These are for you, Momma."

Bella laughed and hissed when the act made her soreness ache. She had been stitched and bandaged after giving birth, but she had refused to take the medicine the doctor had offered her, even though she was assured it wouldn't affect her breast milk.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just gave birth; I guess I'm having the extras now."

"Do you want me to call the doctor?" Rosalie asked.

"No, I'm fine. Kind of tired, though," Bella said, running her fingertips over Daniel's nose and smiled when he murmured irritated.

"Well, let's just feed the baby first and then you can have some sleep," the nurse said, walking to the room with a crib in front of her.

"Feed him? As in…nursing him?" Bella asked. She had read about it, and she knew that she had to do it, but she was freaking out. She had the irrational fears that she might choke the baby, or do something wrong by feeding him.

The nurse chuckled and checked Bella's vitals. "Most mothers fear from the first time they feed their child, sweetie. It's nothing to be scared of. I'm here."

"And I'm out of here. Bella, you know I love you and I love the little guy, but I saw you naked way too many times today. We're definitely crossing the borders of friendship," Jacob said, making his way to the door.

Rosalie laughed and patted Jacob's back. "I'm going to go, too, Bella. It's getting late and I'm really tired. I'll come and see you first thing in the morning, okay?"

Bella's eyes snapped to her friend's ones. "Oh, my God, you missed your Graduation party because of me. Rosalie I'm so so—"

Rosalie raised her hand, stopping her. "Bella, please! As if there was another place I'd rather be today."

Bella chuckled and shook her head. Rosalie walked to her and gave her a big kiss on the cheek and gently caressed Daniel's head.

"I'll be in the waiting room if you need something, Bella," Jacob announced and followed Rosalie out of the door.

"Okay," Bella breathed, looking at the nurse. She smiled sweetly at the newborn's mother and walked to her side.

"Let's get you comfortable first," the maternity nurse said, pressing the buttons of Bella's bed and raising the upper part up. She placed one pillow behind Bella's back, so that she was sitting straight.

"Now gently press the baby's head close to your breast," the nurse said, pushing Bella's hospital pajama away from her chest. "Slowly stroke the baby's lower lip until he opens his mouth."

Bella did as she was told, supporting Daniel with her left arm, while she opened his lips with the fingers of her right one.

"Good, now make sure that the baby's tongue is under the areola, so that he wouldn't choke."

Bella felt the baby's warm lips enclosing on her nipple. She could feel the wetness of his tongue under the areola, just like the nurse had told her it was supposed to be.

"Now, not all babies start sucking the very first time, so if he doesn't—"

"Oh, God," Bella breathed in awe. She could feel the rhythmic sucking and swallowing pattern. It wasn't fast and a bystander probably wouldn't notice that the baby was feeding, but Bella could.

"He's eating," she cried, looking at her child.

"Yeah, he is. Good job, Momma," the maternity nurse said, stroking her hair.

* * *

**ONE WEEK LATER**

"Welcome home," Emmett and Rosalie sang the second Jake opened the door for Bella.

Bella smiled at her friends, her eyes travelling to the decorated room. There were balloons, posters and presents around.

"Oh, thank you," Bella said, making room for Jake to enter the apartment.

Bella was holding Daniel in her arms, his body wrapped in a blue blanket, covering his small blue bodysuit. She had given Jacob all of the heavy bags to lift and was holding her son close to her.

"Here's my man," Emmett said, walking toward Bella. He kissed her cheek and opened his arms, silently asking to hold the baby.

Bella arched her eyebrow at him. "Did you—"

"Yeah, he did. I told him that if he wanted to go anywhere near the baby he had to scrub his hands for five minutes and not touch anything," Rosalie said.

Bella rolled her eyes and laughed, gently putting Daniel in Emmett's arms. "Hey, little man. Why does you godmother keeps you away from me so much?"

"Emmett, you wanted to hug him after you changed your flat tire. Your hands were still dirty, excuse us for being cautious," Bella chastised.

"That was a one-time thing, Bella. Would you ever let it go?"

Bella smirked. "Sure, when Danny is eighteen."

Rosalie laughed and walked to Bella. She linked her hands with the newborn's mother and kissed her cheek.

"You have to see what we did with the room next to yours. It's the most beautiful nursery I've ever seen." Rosalie dragged Bella in the direction of the room.

"Rose, that was not necessary. You know I'd want to sleep in the same room as Danny," Bella argued. She hated that Jacob spend so much money on her and her son. She knew Jake was handling good, even great with the money he was earning, but she still had no wish of being a burden or a gold-digger of sorts.

Jacob snorted somewhere behind her. "My little man has to have a room of his own, Bella. Don't you know how important this is?"

Bella shook her head and stopped in front of the door next to hers. Rosalie was beaming, she was very excited. Bella immediately noticed that the — previously white wooden door — was now painted in sky blue. With large green letters, Daniel's name was spelled diagonally over the surface of the door.

Bella pushed the loose strands who had escaped her high ponytail behind her ears and looked Rosalie sternly. "What's behind this door would shock me, correct?"

Rosalie chuckled. "Good shocking," she said and pressed the handle of the door.

Bella gasped once she saw the room. The walls was painted in milky color, with different blue, green and brown paintings adoring them. The ceiling was painted in sky blue with puffy clouds here and there. On one of the walls was painted an oak tree with big green crown.

The carpet looked like a well trimmed grass. It looked so real, that Bella thought she was going to destruct it if she entered the room.

The window was covered in blue and green curtains with cute teddy bears on. Below the window was a big wooden crib with blue sheets. A light green blanked was neatly folded and tossed on the wooden frame.

In the corner of the room, Bella saw the changing table. It was tall enough for Bella not to lean forward unnecessary, but it was safe enough for the baby not to roll over and fall down. The table had an adjusting mechanism, so that whoever was changing him could lift or lower the crib depending on the person's height. The changing table was made from the same wood material as the crib. A few drawers were situated just below the table. Rosalie had explained that they were full with diapers, baby powder and everything Bella would need to change Daniel's dirty diaper.

On the other end of the room was a little dresser, the top of which was made for the mom to put the baby on while changing him.

In the corner was a big rocking chair, next to which was a table filled with different things Bella would need while feeding Daniel, such as breast pump, baby bottles and pacifiers.

There was also another, bigger closet in which Rosalie explained to Bella that were stored the baby's blankets, ready diaper bags and other stuff she might need.

Bella was so overwhelmed by everything, she started crying. Rosalie smiled at her and hugged her, shushing her.

"There's a baby monitor on the top of the crib and the other one is in your room. They are set and ready to be used. I know you wouldn't like to leave Danny alone so early, so we put a cradle in your room in case you would like him to be closer to you. Plus, he would need to be fed a lot during the night. We thought it would be more comfortable."

"Thank you, thank you. I don't know what I would do without you!" Bella cried, hugging Rosalie even closer to her body.

"Hopefully, you'll never have to know that, right?"

"Did she like it?" Jacob yelled from the living room.

"Yes," Bella yelled back. "Remind me to kiss you and slap you later."

Several hours later, Bella was alone in the apartment. She had changed, fed and burped Daniel before putting him down to sleep in the cradle in her room. Rosalie and Emmett had left them soon after Bella saw the room, seeing as how Bella needed her rest. Shortly after the couple's departure, Jacob was called from his work urgently. There had been some issues with one of the cars they were trying to sell and his presence was needed.

Bella lied down on her bed and closed her eyes enjoying the silence. Those past few days had been so hectic: Daniel's needs as well as the hospital's busy corridors, the nurse's visits, and her father's calls. She hadn't had a single minute alone with herself to think about what was going on with her life, where was she going to go from here.

As thoughts of Edward invaded her, she wondered briefly if the silence was the last thing she wanted.

A knock on the door brought her back from her musings. Groaning, she closed her eyes for a second, willing the intruder away. Giving herself a minute to find the strength and will the laziness away, Bella climbed out of her bed and trotted down the corridor, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

As she reached her door, she looked through her peephole and smiled, placing the key into her lock. The door opened and she smiled at Mike, who had a small bouquet of wildflowers in his hand.

"You didn't have to," Bella said, as she took them from him and brought them to her nose, inhaling the rich and differing scent of every stem.

Mike smirked. "Mmhmm, that's why you're making out with them," he said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and giving her a quick hug, before walking back outside. Bella furrowed her eyebrows and then glared at him as she saw him push a stroller into the apartment.

"I thought I was unyielding enough when I said I didn't want any presents."

Mike propped his elbow on the handles of the stroller and chuckled slightly. "_You_ did. Rosalie called Jacob, who in turn called me — because you know Rosalie's animosity to all things, people and places connected to Edward — and coordinated me to buy a stroller that would fit in with the, I quote verbatim, 'the blue and white décor of the little guy's room!'"

Bella looked down and swallowed hardly. Mike's involvement in Bella's life had been a reason for quite the bickering between Rosalie and the mother-to-be. Bella had yet to realize just how far back her relationship with Edward goes, as well as what it entails, but from what she'd gathered so far they were more than friends.

Mike walked inside and put the stroller on the side of the door, before bending down to take his shoes off. Bella smiled at him as he raised and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I'm so proud of you, momma. That little guy is lucky to have you."

Smiling, Bella ushered Mike through the door of the living room, before asking him if he'd like something to drink. Deciding on beer, Bella walked to the adjoined kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Jacob's six pack for Mike and a glass of milk for herself. Back in the living room, she sat down next to Mike on the orange-colored couch, complimenting perfectly on the warm yellow-reddish décor of the living room.

Putting his arm on the back of the couch behind Bella, Mike sipped his beer. "How have you been? I'm sorry I couldn't stop by the hospital."

Bella waved him off and settled back against the cushions. "I've been good. Daniel is a real sunshine. He sleeps a lot and gives me more time to relax than any mother of a newborn deserves."

Mike's eyes bore into Bella's. "Daniel?"

Sighing, Bella put her half-drank glass on the coffee table in front of the couch and tucked her bare feet underneath her body. "Daniel Jacob Swan. Don't start. I already had this discussion too many times."

"Bella, do you care about Edward?"

His question, so simple, capable of being answered simply with a "yes" or a "no" terrified her. She had beaten herself up about this, but at the end the ache she felt in her chest every time she remembered about Edward crippled her and stopped her train of thought. She didn't care about him in the way most people considered she did, though. She wasn't inlove with him or even simply infatuated by his mere presence. Bella did, however, consider Edward Daniel's father.

How could she not care about the man who gave her the most precious gift of all?

"Can I see the baby?" Mike asked, seeing as how he wouldn't get an answer to his previous question.

"Sure, just please don't disturb him. I have to wake him up to feed him in half an hour and he'll get cranky."

Mike looked at Bella with dumbfounded expression. "Thanks for warning me, because I had in mind to walk in there banging pots and pans."

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Mike."

Chuckling, he stood up from the couch and walked after Bella down the hall toward Daniel's room. Bella stopped in front of the door and placed her index finger against her lips, reminding Mike to keep quiet. She opened the door slowly, trying to make as less little noise as possible and moved to the side, allowing Mike to enter. He slowly walked to the crib, while Bella stayed at the door.

"Should I freak you out that your child is not here, or are you going to come, laugh at me and help me find him?"

Bella giggled and closed the door quietly behind her. She walked to the crib and gently moved the blanket that was covering most of the baby's body, revealing a small blond-colored head. The baby was lying on his back, his delicate little fingers curled up in tiny fists.

"He's so small," Mike said in awe. "I've seen babies, but not so small. Shouldn't he be bigger?"

"He's fine, Mike. He weighted seven pounds when he was born. He's gained a little more than a pound since he was born. He's perfectly normal."

Bella smiled and let go of the blanket she was holding, covering the baby from Mike's eyes again.

"He's blond," Mike stated, once they went back to the living room.

"I know. His hair will probably get darker and darker until it's similar to mine."

"Or, it will simply get some red highlights, and it will be like Edward's."

"I'm hoping for the prior," Bella mumbled, looking down.

"Look, Bella, you can't do anything about it. If you want to blame something, blame the genetics."

"His eyes are light," Bella whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"When babies are born, all of their eyes are a milky-like color. Although, judging by how light his eyes are, they won't turn brown."

"You think—"

"Yeah."

"Wow, the little guy will be like Edward's little copy, huh?" Mike said.

"Something like that," Bella answered.

"It's going to be okay, Bella. He's not staying here, he's moving to—"

"I don't want to know anything about him, Mike. Please," Bella begged.

"Sure. Anyway, now that the baby's born, are you dropping out of school?" Mike asked, sitting down on the sofa.

Bella walked to the sofa and sat down next to him. She leaned back and closed her eyes for a second, relaxing herself.

"No, I talked to the Dean. They have a schedule for parents, some sort of family classes, if you'd like to call it. Since I'm a single mother, the Dean was very understanding. I will take two semesters as one. The professors will send me their lectures, and I will have exams at the university at the end of every semester. Technically, I won't miss a thing. On the contrary, I will be ahead."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Bella, but I don't want to be you in this moment."

Bella chuckled. "I'm in a not so desirable position."

"Look, as much as I would like to stay and chat with you, I have some work to do. Now that I've graduated, I have to start looking for a job."

Bella rose from her seat and walked him to the door. "Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!"

Mike smiled and leaned down to hug Bella. She hugged him back, they said their goodbyes, and he was out the door.

Bella walked to the sofa to lie down for a little bit, but the cry she heard on the baby monitor stopped her. Her little man needed to eat. She would get her rest later.

* * *

**SIX MONTHS LATER**

"Jake, watch him! He'll roll over and fall down!" Bella yelled from the kitchen where she was preparing Daniel's dinner. Ever since his first teeth grew, Bella was giving him more solid foods. She was still breastfeeding him, but she tried to give him different kinds of foods.

He had gotten his vaccine the week before, and he had been cranky for a couple of days, but apart from that, Daniel was a wonderful child. Even as an infant, he didn't cause Bella insomnia more than any other newborn did.

Bella had taken her exams with maximum score and was now only three years away from graduating. She had talked to the university's board, asking if she could finish her education the way she did during those six months, and they had agreed. She would take two years as one and hopefully graduate from Harvard when she was twenty-one, instead of twenty-two.

Jacob was a huge help. He watched Daniel while she was taking an exam, changed his diapers, and fed him. He played the role a father should and that scared the living daylights out of her. She talked to Jake about it, but he waved her off, saying he was perfectly aware of what he was doing, but she knew better. Jacob was taking his role way too seriously and that confused not only him, but Daniel as well. She didn't want her son to believe he had a father that wasn't actually his. No, she preferred for Daniel to know the truth. His father left them, because he didn't know he existed, and Bella raised him on her own.

Of course, six month old babies couldn't understood any of that.

Daniel had grown into being a little copy of Edward. Although his hair had turned slightly darker and had a rather dusty blond highlight to it, his eyes were an identical replica of his father's: from the shape, to the color. Bella thought she was going to be hurt when she looked at Daniel, but she wasn't. If anything she was happy her son would have his father's features. Edward Cullen might have been an ass, but he was a beautiful ass.

Fortunately, being an ass wasn't transferred genetically, even though scientists still tried to prove it.

"I'm watching him, Bella. Jesus," Jacob mumbled, tickling Daniel's tummy.

It was the end of December, and the day prior, Bella and Rosalie had decorated the apartment. Bella was against putting too much decoration, so they kept it simple. Daniel had just started having attempts of attempted crawling, and Bella didn't want him to hit his head somewhere or anything like that.

Rosalie had found herself a job in one of the best law firms in Massachusetts. She was doing killer hours and her bosses were driving her crazy, but she loved every minute of it. Having an internship such as this written on your resume was a gate opener for every job she might want to pursue in the future.

Luckily, her relationship with Emmett hadn't suffered from her busy schedule. Emmett was still a partner in his father's firm, and he got more and more work hours a week, since his father's health had become worse. They were both busy, but when they had even a few minutes to spare, they spent them together.

The life Bella was leading was good, but she still hated the fact she was dependant on Jacob. He had never and would never refuse her anything, but she wanted to have her own income; she wanted to be independent.

Mike still couldn't find a job, and it was depressing him. Apparently, _everyone_ from his classes had found a job, _one_ of them in Seattle. This person was working in a business firm as an intern but was still paid well, not that _he_ needed it.

Bella had no idea when the months had passed, but she had the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She just had no idea what or when.

* * *

**SIX MONTHS LATER**

Banging Jacob's door against the opposite wall, Bella all but ran to her friend's bed and crawled over the covers. Emmett and Rosalie had taken Daniel for a walk only minutes prior so Bella finally had a few hours to spare for herself, just being lazy.

Jacob raised his arm in the air, silently asking her to lie down next to him and she didn't refuse. Resting her head on his sternum, she closed her eyes as she heard him grab today's newspaper from his bedside table and open it.

Jacob's heartbeat almost lulled Bella to sleep, but when she heard him whistle loudly, she looked up at him, asking him what he was so impressed with.

"You should have asked for alimony," he said, as Bella tried to peak at the article he was reading.

_Cullen Internationals earned two billion dollars in less than twenty-four hours._

"Wow," Bella said, raising her upper body more as her eyes scanned the rest of the article.

_The newest investment company is climbing its way to the top. Cullen Internationals, that earned its first million six hours within opening, is now breaking records._

_Almost a year ago, the company's CEO, Edward Cullen, had made an investment in a dying company, buying fifty-one percent of the board's actions. Three hours later, the company he bought for a penny made one million dollars, making Cullen Internationals a legend._

_Yesterday, Mr. Cullen finished a new investment in Las Vegas, buying a hotel/casino about to go into bankruptcy, and made trades on the stock market, earning almost two billion dollars eighteen hours after purchase._

_Edward Cullen's net worth is estimated at nearly nine billion dollars, making him the richest man under twenty-five years old._

_Other investment companies claim Cullen Internationals is laundering money and using illegal ways to climb to the top._

"Wow," Bella breathed, her eyes stopping on the picture of Edward in front of _Cullen Internationals._ Her first glimpse of him in over a year made her breath hitch. He was just as handsome as he was twelve months prior, only now the tailored suit he had on and the blue dress shirt he had underneath were making him look older, more sophisticated, sexy.

He looked so different and yet the same. The hatred in his eyes was still there. Twelve months would never make that go away.

"It seems like he's having the time of his life. I don't need his money especially if there are rumors—" Bella grabbed the newspaper from Jacob's arms and read out loud. "_Cullen Internationals is laundering money and using illegal ways to climb to the top._"

"Your call," Jacob said as Bella lied back down on his chest. Sleep, however, didn't find her. Her mind was reeling with the information she had just read. She knew Edward had been doing fine in Seattle, but she had no idea he had his own company. When she had asked Mike not to keep her up with Edward's life he had agreed, hence stopping every source of information she could have for her child's father.

Bella was tempted to look him up online on more than one occasion, but she was quick to push those desires down.

Hours later when Rosalie and Emmett brought Daniel back, Bella's mind was still filled with thoughts of Edward. She washed the dishes mechanically and only half-listened to Jacob's words during dinner. Seeing as how she needed her time, Jacob offered to bathe and help Daniel with the potty again. He had said it was a guy's activity and effectively banned Bella from doing it.

While Jacob was attending to Daniel's needs, Bella grabbed the newspaper and re-read the article again. Her eyes fell on Edward's picture and she couldn't stop her fingers from trailing over the black-and-white photograph.

Her mind set, Bella walked over to her laptop and quickly opened the search engine. Typing Edward's name she waited for a few second before her screen was filled with links of information about him. The first link was his biography from Cullen International's website. She quickly skipped that, because she didn't want to read the glamorous version of his life. She wanted to know things that were as close to the truth as possible.

Wikipedia was next, but it didn't really tell her more than she already knew. Son of Carlisle Cullen: a plastic surgeon living with his wife, Esme Cullen in Chicago. He has a sister, Alice, but that's about as far as his family was concerned. He had graduated from Harvard, interned in some high-end investment company, before investing his entire trust fund in the built of his company.

After that the information was all work-related, nothing that really grabbed Bella's attention.

Back to the search engine, Bella clicked on photos and her eyes immediately adverted. Most of the pictures were professional portraits of Edward, some of them were photos from press-conferences and meetings, but a large portion of them were of him with different women.

Closing the webpage, Bella leaned back on her chair and turned her head back to the newspaper. She grabbed it and rolled it, pushing it into her back jean pocket.

"I put him to bed," Jacob said, walking into the room. "You can go kiss him goodnight."

Bella smiled and patted Jacob's shoulder as she passed him. "Thanks, Jake."

Upon entering Daniel's room, Bella's eyes immediately found Daniel. She chuckled as she saw him playing with his feet in the air. She walked over to him and lowered the gate, dropping to her knees next to Daniel.

"Who's playing with their feet? Who's playing with their feet?" she cooed, tickling his feet. Daniel giggled and Bella grabbed his ankle gently, pulled his sock and pressed a hundred of butterfly kisses all over his instep.

Laughing quietly at Danny's giggles, she put the sock back on and kissed his head softly. Bella wrapped the blanket around him and lost herself in the pools of her son's jade eyes.

Sighing, Bella unrolled the newspaper and folded it in half, so it was showing Edward's picture. "Hey baby," she said. "This is your daddy. You'll probably only ever see him this way, but—"

"Dah-dah," Danny mumbled.

"What?" Bella breathed out in awe.

"Dada," Danny said, pointing at Edward's photo with his small finger.

It was enough for Bella to fall back and sit on the floor, completely in shock. This was simply impossible.

* * *

_I hope you were okay with the time jumps. Since the beginning of the chapter it's been one year. :)_

_Reviews are much appreciated. You can find links to my Facebook group and Twitter on my profile._


	6. And Then She Went Home

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M** (**NC-17**), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human; OOC; Plot is property of **b. krumova**. _©2011-2012._

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then She Went Home_

"Hey, Mike," Bella said, standing up from the bench she was sitting on and giving him a quick hug.

It was a wonderful September morning. Bella had taken her final exams and was now a Harvard graduate with a diploma. She still couldn't believe how she managed to be a mother and a student at the same time, but she was more than proud with herself.

Bella was so grateful to the people at the University. She never thought she'd have gotten so much help and support. She had been so scared when she had spoken to the Dean about the re-arrangement of her program. Her biggest fear that day was the Dean would have told her it was her fault she got knocked up at such early age and he'd threw her out.

Bella felt like she had aged ten years since Daniel's birth. She was never a party person, but she used to go out every now and then. Ever since Daniel's first cry in the hospital, her outings were all connected with him. They either went to the playground, or some nice meadow for a picnic. Bella refused placing Daniel in daycare. She had so many people around her, that even the thought of letting strangers look after her child sickened her.

For the past three years she had spent every waking second with Daniel or studying. During her first and second semester she was pregnant with him and for the past two years she was either taking care of him or studying hard, trying to take all of her exams for two years as one.

The past three months were very hard on Bella. Along with the worry every mother had, the pressure from school was slowly making her insane. If she wasn't with Daniel, she was studying. She stayed up all night and lived on caffeine and energy drinks. She stopped nursing Daniel about a year ago, and ever since she went back to her bad habit of swallowing unhealthy amounts of coffee daily.

It didn't help the fact that Daniel's first word was dada. Bella wouldn't have freaked out so badly, if he hadn't pointed at Edward's photo. She knew that it was impossible for the child to recognize the father he had never seen, but this enigma still took away the little peace she had.

Why did Edward Cullen, have to mess her life up so badly, even unintentionally?

Daniel Jacob was two years and three months old. He was a lovely child, with a piercing jade eyes and a bronze hair. Bella liked to keep it short, but his hair just grew way too fast.

He had started walking when he was ten months old and it hadn't taken long before the little man was off and running. He was so energetic, so lively. Bella wondered if Edward was like him, before he became the Satan. Surely, the child didn't get that part from her. She had the amazing ability to fall down on flat surfaces.

Bella was enjoying her no-study time on the playground with Daniel. Her friend, Lauren Mallory also had a little boy around Daniel's age and was now pushing the kids on the baby swings.

"Hey, Bella. Where's the little man?" Mike asked, sitting next to her. She hadn't seen him approaching, being focused on her child.

Bella pointed her finger toward the swings a few feet away from the bench. Lauren waved at both of them and gently rocked both of the swings. Mike smiled at the scene and waved at the blonde woman.

"So, I wanted to talk to you about something," Mike said.

"Sure, shoot." Bella turned slightly, looking Mike directly in the eyes. He had a few days stubble on, dangerously close to becoming a full on beard. He looked tired with dark bags under his eyes. Mike was still unemployed. He couldn't find a job and it was eating him alive. He had started drinking and his future didn't look pleasant. Bella tried her best to help him any way she could, but Mike didn't want the help.

"I got a job," he said.

Bella's face split into a grin, before she wrapped her arms around Mike tightly. "I'm so proud of you!"

Chuckling at her enthusiasm, Mike caressed her back."It's in Seattle, though," he mumbled.

Bella backed away from him slightly and placed her hands on both sides of his face. "I'm not going to tell you that I'm not going to miss you, because that would be a lie. However, I'm so happy for you and so proud of you and I want you to succeed."

Mike sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm going to work for Cullen Internationals. Edward offered me a job."

Bella dropped her hands from Mike's face and moved back from him. "You talked to him?"

"I did, but before you freak put on me I didn't say a word about Danny or you. He called me to ask how I was doing and when I informed him I was still unemployed he asked me if I wanted to go and work for him. It's a great position and the money's great, Bella."

"Mike, I'm not telling you not to do it. Hell, I support you all the way. I just don't want Edward messing into Daniel's life."

Mike sighed and looked at the swings where Daniel was laughing loudly as Lauren pushed him. Daniel was waving at his mother and when Mike's eyes found Bella's face he was mesmerized. The last rays of the twilight were hitting Bella's face adding a glow to her chocolate-brown eyes. The little smile tugging on her lips spoke more than a thousand words would. Bella loved her son with all her being.

"It's not polite to stare," Bella said, grinning.

"Listen Bella, I think you should talk to him?" Mike said at last.

Turning her head to look at him, Bella tilted her head to the side. "Have you lost your mind? Call him and tell him what exactly? Hello, I'm the girl you degraded like a low-class prostitute three years ago. I gave birth to your son. Goodbye."

"You know someone once told me that sarcasm was the lowest form of wit."

"Correct, but it's also the highest form of intelligence."

"I'm not making you do anything you're uncomfortable with, Bella, I'm just asking you to consider this. The Edward we both knew back then would have never tried to reach out and help."

Bella raised her legs on the bench and wrapped her arms around them. Her eyes were settled on her child: his carefree and happy smiles and cries in delight. Daniel wasn't missing anything from his life. He was lavished with love and attention and even though Bella tried to avoid it as much as possible he had grown to be rather spoiled. He never lacked anything, not even a father figure in his life.

"Why would I give up the life I'm living right now just to speak to Edward?"

"It's because I know you, Bella. I see it in your eyes every day. You feel protected here, but you're not happy."

Bella looked at him and opened her mouth to protest, but Mike shushed her, pressing his fingers to her lips. "Do you remember what you told me the day you graduated? I congratulated you and praised your responsibility and your passion juggling being a mother and a student. I still remember your reply. It actually inspired me. You said that you wanted to be one of those women other aspired to be. You wanted to fight your own way up, without help and when you look back in the years to come you wanted to be able to say you did it all by yourself."

Bella's eyes watered as she breathed deeply, trying to swallow down the bile in her throat.

"You will never be able to forgive yourself if Edward actually did change, Bella. How can you look into Daniel's eyes and tell him you deprived him from having a father, because you didn't try?"

A lone tear slipped from Bella's eyes, but she was quick to brush it away as she saw Danny running toward her. Mike sighed and pulled out a business card, offering it to Bella. "Here's Edward's number. Call him if you want to."

Pressing a kiss to her cheek, Mike jumped from the bench and wrapped his arms around Daniel, lifting him in the air. Danny laughed and tried to shake off Mike's tickling fingers, but he didn't have such luck.

Meanwhile, Bella's eyes were transfixed on the small white carton Mike had given her. What if he was right? Looking up to see Danny, Bella's mind was set. She was going to find out no matter what.

* * *

Buckling Daniel up in his car seat, Bella closed the back door and pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. She quick-dialed her father's number and waited for him to answer.

Since Daniel's birth Charlie had been more involved with Bella's life. He hadn't exactly warmed up to her, but he was trying. The one time he took a flight to Boston with Billy to spent Thanksgiving with her and Daniel was the only face-to-face contact she had with him since she left Forks.

"Bella?" he answered on the third ring. "Is everything okay?"

Bella rolled her eyes and leaned back against her car. It was sad their relationship was so desolated. It took Bella a while, but she finally stopped feeling bad about her father's feelings for her.

She hadn't made a habit of calling him, but now, she actually needed a favor. Being the sheriff in a small town near Settle, she thought he could be of help in trying to track down Edward's police records. It was a long shot, but the more she knew of him the better.

"Yeah, Dad, everything's fine. I was actually calling to ask you for a favor."

Two hours later, Bella drove back to the apartment she was still sharing with Jacob. The phone call she had with her father was done pretty quickly since he was on duty. Bella didn't note the fact that the only crime Forks ever sees is the random car-crash, or the vandalism of some teenaged kid.

"Jake, we're home!" Bella yelled from the front door, holding Daniel's hand. She let the little guy go once they were inside the apartment and turned around to lock the door behind her.

"He's not home, he got called for something from work," Vanessa explained.

Vanessa Masen was Jacob's girlfriend for over six months. They met in Olympia, when Jake had to go on a conference about his job. Vanessa was working in the same circle and they hit it off. The most interesting fact was that Vanessa was Elizabeth and Edward Masen's niece. Edward's brother, Garrett and his wife, Kate had a daughter Bella never knew about.

Bella hadn't been thinking about her life in Forks for a very long time. She felt a little guilty for losing touch with Elizabeth. She was always very nice to her and Bella was sure that Elizabeth would have been very supportive about Danny.

"Hey, little man," Vanessa said, wiping her hands in the apron she had on, before bending down to give Daniel a kiss on the cheek.

Bella was very fond of Vanessa. Ever since she and Jacob started dating she had been nothing but kind and friendly to her and her son. Even though Jacob declined it every time Bella asked, she knew that he was holding back from moving his relationship with Vanessa to the next level because of her.

He couldn't ask her to move in into an apartment where a woman already lived with her son.

"Do you know when Jacob will be home?" Bella asked.

Vanessa shrugged. "I'm actually waiting for him any moment now. Why? Is everything okay?"

Bella couldn't help but chuckle. "That's the question everyone has been asking me today. I'm fine, but I really want to talk to Jake about something. Would you mind going to the store with Danny or something like that so that I could have a minute alone with him?"

"Of course not, Bella. You do seem anxious, though. You sure there's nothing I can help you with."

Nodding, Bella said, "Yeah. It's just time for me to put my big girl panties on."

Just then, the door opened and Jacob walked in.

"Unwcle Jwake," Danny screamed, leaving Nessie's arms and running in Jacob's direction.

"Wow, hey," Jacob hissed, when Danny collided painfully with his leg. Bella and Nessie had to stifle a giggle. "How's my big boy?"

"Good. Momma gave me ice-cweam today."

"Good job, Momma. Fill the child with nasty food," Jacob chastised.

"Nasty food? How does ice-cream compare to the crap you swallow?" Nessie asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jacob grinned, bending down to scoop Daniel in his arms. "Are we going to talk about the things we swallow, Ness?"

"Jacob!" Bella scolded. "Child in the room!"

Waving him off, Vanessa asked, "I was thinking of going to the store for a little while. Want to come with me, Danny?" Nessie asked, looking at Bella. She mouthed a "thank you."

"Yey!" Danny squealed, running to Bella and waiting for her permission.

"Sure, just put your jacket on, it's getting cold," Bella said.

"Okay, Momma."

Bella laughed and leaned down, kissing his forehead with a quick peck. Nessie was already holding the little man's open jacket and he quickly put it on. Nessie kneeled down before him, zipping him and grabbing his hand.

"Don't let go of Auntie Nessie's hand and don't make her buy you stuff, you know how easily she breaks under those beautiful eyes of yours." Bella warned.

"Hey, I don't break that easily!" Nessie argued.

"Yeah, you do, baby. That's how the little guy got an entire sleepless night, because you gave him too much candy," Jacob said.

"Fine," Nessie hissed. "Come on, little dude, let's leave these two."

Jacob walked over to Bella and brought his arms around her shoulders. "Is this the moment you tell me you want to talk to me, or are we supposed to wait for them to be a farther away from us?"

Bella chuckled and playfully elbowed him in the ribs. She pointed toward the couch and sat down, waiting for Jacob to join her there. As soon as he did, Bella grabbed his hands in hers and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Bella, you're freaking me out, what's going on?"

Bella looked down and breathed in deeply. This was going to be harder than she thought it would. How do you say goodbye to the person who had been with you unconditionally?

"Oh, my God! Are you knocked up again?" Jacob asked.

"What? Uh, no? There's no way of this happening. I haven't had sex since Danny was conceived."

"Hey, you can't say I never proposed to watch DJ while you get yourself off."

"Jacob, I'm not going to let you babysit my son while I whore around!"

Jacob sighed. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Mike's got a job…"

"That's great. God knows he needed one." Jacob and Mike were pretty close friends. A person wouldn't say they were best buddies or anything, but they spoke to each other every now and then.

"…at Edward's company." Bella finished.

Jacob leaned back and looked at Bella with furrowed eyebrows. "Why is this worrying you? You think he'll tell Edward about DJ?"

"No, no, nothing like that. You see, Edward was the one who actually offered him the job, even though there are no positions to be filled. Mike thinks that Edward has changed for the good."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going with this?"

Bella took a big breath. "I think it's time for Danny to meet his father."

"No!" Jacob yelled, standing up from the couch. "Jesus Bella! Have you forgotten what he did to you?"

"That was in the past, Jake. Look, I know it's a huge risk! I understand that. But when you come to think about it, what's the worst that could happen? He'd say he doesn't want anything to do with Danny. I wouldn't pressure him! I just want Danny to have the chance of meeting him. I don't want to be the mother that took that away from him, especially if there's a chance Edward has turned into a good person."

"You've completely lost your mind, haven't you? You can't just move all the way across the country to meet that guy, Bella? What about Danny?"

"I _am_ doing this for Danny!" Bella decided to keep the bigger truth from Jacob. She could have easily spoken with Edward on the phone, but then what? She was going to be depended on Jacob for the rest of his life? She couldn't do this…not to him and definitely not to her.

"You're a mother! You can't just take chances like these and hope for the best!"

Standing up from the couch, Bella walked over to the window and looked out. "I spoke to my dad today. He said he'd pull some stings and ask a favor from a deputy working for the Seattle PD. He'd look at Edward criminal records and if there's something suspicious or something wrong with them I'd consider my move there."

"You've made up your mind, haven't you?"

Bella nodded, without turning her head. "I did. I'm going to Seattle, Jacob. That's final."

With that she turned on her heels and walked into her room.

* * *

During the next several days, Bella was all over the place. The night she told Jacob about her and Danny's departure to Seattle, she couldn't fall asleep. Instead, she made a list of all the things she had to do before the big move.

She knew that since she was with child the whole situation was far more complex than it would've been if she were alone.

The day after she spoke with her father, he called her informing her that Edward's records were clean. He didn't even have as much as a speeding ticket in the recent years.

Bella was able to find a small apartment in a decent neighborhood. Of course her new home couldn't compare to the luxury she had been living in for the past three years, but it was still something. She and Danny would be fine there.

Speaking to all of the daycare facilities near the apartment, Bella finally made her choice on one. The woman running the facility was in her mid-fifties. She had three grandchildren she looked after daily as well as a few other kids from around the block while their parents were working. Her name was Lucy Donovan and from the talks she and Bella had on the phone, she decided that Lucy was a delightful woman.

It took more time to change pediatricians and change her ID with her new address.

Slowly but effectively, Bella crossed more and more from the list. Her bags were packed; most of Danny's stuff was already in Seattle, since Emmett and Rosalie were sweet enough to transport them in Emmett's private jet. Emmett offered to fly Bella and DJ to Seattle, but she refused, saying they alreadyhad given her too much.

Her life was about to change once she moved back home, but she wanted to ease slowly into it. The first step she made was going to the hairdresser where she had her waist-long hair cut just below her shoulders.

Bella had saved money through the years and with the ten thousand dollar check Jacob insisted on her having, she was financially stable to start her and Danny's new lives. The apartment had already been pre-paid and all the furniture was in place. The place was clean and the fridge was full, thanks to Rosalie who made sure Danny and Bella would be perfectly comfortable in their new home.

Bella had made a couple of appointments for job interviews, speaking to Lucy and making sure Daniel would be taken care for while she was job hunting.

Everything was set, the tickets were bought and the day to leave arrived sooner than Bella thought it would. She was scared, but she put on her best poker-face. She took several deep breaths, calming herself with the fact that Mike was already there. He had arrived only two days prior and settled into an apartment not so far from Bella's. She had spoken to him and he had promised he would be at the airport to collect Danny and her as soon as they landed. She knew she would have some support there, but there was something that bothered her. She had that lump in her throat that made her desperately want to cry, but she just couldn't. She dismissed the feeling of something going terribly wrong.

No place for fears now.

Jacob had taken the day off and he drove Bella to the airport. Her car would be transferred to Seattle by Jake's firm a week after she arrived, and until then he had arranged a rental Volvo XC90 for her with installed baby seat.

Bella's eyes were watery as she made a final walk around the apartment that had been her home for so long. She had forbidden herself from being nostalgic, but knowing she was leaving was not easy.

With a sigh, she almost ran to the door, not looking back, and leaving the apartment. Jacob was already in the car downstairs, buckling Danny up in his seat.

The drive to the airport was silent, but comfortable. Bella had her hand in Jacob's, their fingers entwined. She loved how much comfort a simple gesture as this was giving her.

The car stopped in the parking lot, much too soon for her liking. Slowly her head turned to her best friend and she looked at him as if this would be the last time she saw him.

"It's going to be okay, Bella. I'm only a phone call away," he said, forcing a smile. He was against the move and against the meeting of Daniel with Edward, but he knew this was not the time to speak his concerns. He had tried talking Bella out of it so many times during the past two weeks; he had started sounding like a broken record.

Bella nodded, biting her lip.

Jacob unbuckled himself and grabbed Bella's shoulders, hugging her close to his body in vice grip.

"Listen to me," he said, forcing her to look into his eyes. "You and the boy in the backseat are my life, my family. I love you so much, Bella. So much! I'd never let anything happen to either one of you. I know you're going to a big city alone, but I don't want you to worry. You're twenty-one, legal to do anything; you have a degree from Harvard, your job is simply waiting for you and you have the most amazing child in the world. Mike is there, it's not like you'd be alone, plus I'll jump on the first plane there as soon as you want me to. You can do this."

Bella's eyes watered listening to Jacob's beautiful speech. "Thanks Jake."

Jacob left the car and went to the trunk to collect the bags Bella would be traveling with. She had unbuckled Daniel from his seat and she was slowly working on waking him up. The boy was a gift from God, but he was cranky when he was woken up.

Bella took his small hand in hers and walked to the back of the car, where Jacob already had the bags in one of his hands and on his shoulder. He took Bella's hand again and they walked to the check-in line.

Seeing how their luggage was sliding away from them, Jacob couldn't bite his tongue anymore. He had to say it one more time.

"I'm still against that, Bella," Jacob said, checking the last of Bella and DJ's luggage away.

"I know, Jake, but I have to do this."

"You don't need to meet him! He doesn't know he has a two years old son with a woman he had a one-night stand with. Please Bella, just stay here! Nessie and I can watch DJ for you, while you search for a job!"

"I'm going to Seattle, Jake. Nothing can stop me."

Jacob sighed, picked up Daniel from the ground and kissed his head. "I love you, buddy. Take care of momma for me will you?"

"Yesh," Daniel answered, wrapping his small arms around Jacob's neck.

With the arm he wasn't holding Danny, Jacob almost dragged Bella into his embrace. "I love you both, so much!"

"We love you too," Bella answered.

"_Calling all passengers for flight__SA059__to__Seattle,__Washington,"_ a woman's voice from the speakers blasted. _"Calling all passengers for flight__SA__059 to__Seattle, Washington."_

"This is us," Bella mumbled, freeing herself from Jacob's hug and taking Daniel from his arms.

"This shouldn't feel so familiar. I feel like I'm sending you off to college again. Call me as soon as you land!" Jacob said.

"Of course I'll call. I love you!" she said.

"I love you, too," he mumbled, losing Bella and Danny out of sight.

**~.~**

"This has got to be the longest flight ever," Bella whispered to no one in particular. She couldn't put her finger on the source of her anxiety. She remembered having no problems when she flew last time. She vaguely thought if her worries were due to the fact the most important person in her world was sleeping soundly on the seat next to her.

Bella turned her head and glanced down to the sleeping form of her son. A smile spread on her face as she stared at her pride and joy then she frowned a little. Of course she was worried about his comfort having in mind this was his first time on a plane. She tried to convince herself that Danny's well-being was the reason for her anxiety, but she couldn't lie to herself.

It was meeting Edward.

Bella glanced at the digital watch attached to the wall next to the TV. She still had two hours left; two hours in neutral territory, before she landed in Edward's small kingdom.

She had done research on him, of course. She had spent a whole day looking up his name online, going as far as buying a magazine that had him on the cover. Bella was aware that Edward owned the city, speaking figuratively. He had his hands in almost every corporation and he had relationships with people which obviously had connection where Bella couldn't even imagine having.

Instinctively her hand went to stroke Danny's head. His soft bronze hair felt like silk beneath her touch. He was so young, so pure; she hated pulling him out of his comfortable environment into the abysses of the unknown, but she had to take a chance.

She was putting way too much faith in Edward without him knowing.

* * *

_Slap._

"Oh, God!"

_Slap. Slap. Slap._

"Fuck, so good. Harder, baby."

With the sound of the endearment his jaw clenched. He hated being called pet names, especially from whores good enough for one thing only — sex.

He connected his palm with her ass cheek harder than before. She wanted it harder; she was going to get it. Today was a very bad day and he needed a distraction from his problems and headaches.

The only fault in his plan was that _Tuesday_ was giving him a headache with her stupid name-callings.

He never really cared about the name of the women he slept with. They didn't need to have identities, all they needed to have was a nice rack, good figure, and holes he could fill.

His current conquest he conveniently named Tuesday in his head. He had girls for every day of the week. If he didn't feel like going out and trying to score from some random bar, he simply called one of his week-whores and got laid.

Money, looks, and power gave it all.

Some of them were stupid enough and tried to ask for more. So many women were crushed down because of this simple request. Edward Cullen didn't do relationships. He fucked. Hard. If the girl was lucky, he'd fuck her on more than one occasion, but that was it. Nothing more. Never more.

Some women took drastic actions trying to pass with fake pregnancies, but Edward knew better. Most of the women who claimed carried his child were liars, but one not. A naïve virgin girl who interned in his company a couple of months back got pregnant for real. Edward made sure that the baby was gone before there was even a doctor's exam. Money could save you from anything, even unwanted bastard children.

"Ah, I'm so close," moaned the whore he was currently fucking on the floor of his office. It was always so simple. They'd walk into the office, discard their panties and bend over the desk.

After the epic fail with intern and the abortion, Edward made sure that all of the women he fucked were on birth control. He had never had sex without a condom on, but those things are not always effective. The intern was a living proof.

Edward increased the speed on his thrusts and a devilish smirk appeared on his face_. You may be close, but you're not coming._

He gripped the girl's hips firmly and forcefully, stilling her. He was focused on his own needs, slamming in and out of her harder and faster with every thrust. His orgasm ripped through him and he came inside the condom.

As soon as the last waves of pleasure left his body, he eased out of her and discarded the condom.

"That was mean," the girl complained. She was still _close_. "I have needs, you know."

Edward laughed mockingly. "Do you think I _care_ about your needs? You know what you're here for. If you come, good. If you don't, you don't."

Tuesday scoffed and straightened her clothes. "You're going to die alone and miserable."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know where the door is."

He watched as the girl made her way out of the office, flipping him the bird. Apparently, he had to find someone else for the Tuesdays.

Edward sat on his presidential chair and turned to the floor to ceiling windows, watching the lights of Seattle twinkle before his eyes. He had always liked this particular background. If he had to chose between being in the nature and the strip of Las Vegas, he's choose Vegas immediately. He liked the lights because the lights meant people. Somehow he wasn't feeling so alone.

His life was good. He _loved_ his life. He was richer than he ever thought he could be. Millions of dollars were being earned as if it were nothing. He had sex on regular bases, latest models of cars and a big penthouse in downtown Seattle. People were afraid of him, of the power he had.

He had cut his family out completely. The slut of a mother he had and the fucker Carlisle were not even on his mind anymore. They had tried to contact him as soon as he started earning more money than any other twenty-five year old, but he never answered. They could go to hell if they wanted to.

Alice was another story. She had dropped out of Harvard, after she failed all of her exams. He had tried to delete her from his life as well, but there was something that stopped him. Alice was a brainless skank, with no self preservation or respect for that matter, but she was still his sister. Some invisible power stopped him from telling her off. They weren't close or anything. He had last seen her six or seven months ago, but he made sure to transfer twenty-five thousand dollars a month into her account.

Just in case she needed them.

It was a quiet and peaceful night. Despite everything, the night held some comfort.

A buzzing noise broke the amazing stillness around the office. Edward turned on his chair and pressed the red button on his phone.

"Yes," he answered.

"Mr. Cullen, I have Isabella Swan on the line for you. She said it's urgent and she needs to speak with you."

"Who?" Edward asked genially confused.

"She said you might remember her as Bella."

Bella…the name did ring a bell, but for the life of him he couldn't put his finger on her.

"Put her through," he said, leaning on the desk on his elbows.

"H-hello?"

"Yes," he answered. The seconds were tickling by and no one responded on the other line.

"Hi, I-I'm…I…"

Sighing in irritation, Edward huffed, "Listen, I don't have all night. Cut the stuttering and speak, or I won't bother myself with you anymore."

"I think we have to meet each other," she finally said.

Bella…Bella…the name was so familiar. He knew her. He just couldn't exactly remember who she was or what her role was in his life.

"And why would we do that?" he asked.

After a long pause, she said."Because it's time for you to finally meet your son."

_Eddie, this is Bella, she is my new virgin BFF. Do something about it._

He finally remembered who she was.

* * *

_Reviews are much appreciated. You can find links to my Facebook group and Twitter on my profile._


	7. And Then He Broke Her

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M** (**NC-17**), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human; OOC; Plot is property of **b. krumova**. _©2011-2012._

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then He Broke Her_

Fortunately, Mike was able to locate Bella and Danny almost immediately. She was worried she wouldn't be able to handle the luggage and the two year old she had holding her hand without any help.

"Hey, little man," Mike cheered and kneeled down, opening his arms in an invitation of Daniel to run into. The child didn't waste time; he let Bella's hand go and sprinted into Mike's embrace. Mike lifted Danny from the ground and tossed him twice in the air, before seeing Bella's glare and stopping the game. He walked to her and gave her a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm so happy you're here." Mike put Danny back to the ground and Bella took her son's hand. They walked to the luggage section and Mike collected Bella's suitcases.

At first, their drive was filled with mindless chatter. Mike asked her how the flight was and told her a few words about his first day of work. He had his eyes set on one of the receptionists from the ground floor and was actually gathering up the courage to ask her out. Bella smiled and chuckled at the appropriate places, but her mind was somewhere else. She was tense about the upcoming meeting, worried — which filled her mind with doubt.

"Did you talk to him?" Bella asked, looking out the window. She tried to sound as casual as she could, but internally her heart was beating erratically in her chest.

Mike glanced at Bella sideways and narrowed his eyes slightly."No, I haven't. He was out of town for the day. He's supposed to be at the office tonight around five."

This piece of information did nothing to calm Bella's concerns. She had hoped that Mike would meet with him and give her the heads up of what to expect. Perhaps, if he saw the evil in Edward's eyes again, she'd restrain herself from calling him. Daniel would understand. When he'd become of legal age, he'd be more than welcome to contact his father. Hell, Bella would even help him.

"It's going to be fine, Bella. As soon as you see him—"

Bella shook her head, rubbing her hands up and down her face. "I'm not going to meet him, before we speak on the phone. If he wants to schedule a meeting, I won't be against it. I'm not putting my head in the lion's mouth."

"You worry too much. What's the worst that could happen?"

Bella's eyes looked at the rear view mirror, her eyes falling on the sleeping kid behind her. "I don't know what the worst is but everything besides Edward being an actual human being for once, is bad. Very bad."

"Hey, if you're having second thoughts I could just turn the car and drive you back to the airport. This is not something you can easily jump into, Bella and if your mind is not one hundred percent set on this, then there's no point in doing this."

"I'm not having second thoughts. I'm over thinking. That's what every parent does."

"Bel—"

"Can we just … drive in silence for a while? I need to think." She cut him off mid-sentence, not wanting to hear more. Her entire being was already on high-alert and Mike's presumptions weren't helping her calm down, on the contrary they were making her even tenser.

Bella saw Mike nodding in her peripheral vision. She wasn't looking at him anymore; her eyes were locked in the rear-view mirror.

Watching her son sleep.

* * *

"We need to paint this place," Bella said, gently setting Danny down in the middle of the double bed. She grabbed the two pillows from the bed and placed them on each side of him in case he turned.

Bella's first impression of her new place wasn't a good one. The entire apartment gave the impression of a hospital room more than a home.

It was too white.

The walls were white, same as the drapes. The furniture was in the same color, only a bit yellowish, because they were second-hand. Nothing in this place had any contrast and even though Rosalie and Emmett tried to make it more lived in, the entire décor screamed disrepair.

A big room was used for living room, dining room and a kitchen-box. A dirty-white love seat was situated in the center of the room. In front of the love seat was positioned a small, white coffee table and right beside it, were placed two white armchairs with dark blue cushions. Fifteen inched TV box was hanging from the wall directly in front of the two-seater sofa. A lamp and a few frame pictures were the only decorations in the improvised living room.

In between two white kitchen units were placed the stove and a dishwasher. On the counter was standing a white microwave. The fridge was situated in the corner of the small kitchen, again in the white color.

The dining room table was positioned near the stove and had three mismatched chairs surrounding it. Old rug was placed in front of the balcony door. The balcony was big enough for two plastic chairs and a small plastic table.

Even the view of the apartment sucked. All you could see was the brick wall of the other apartment building build on this street.

The bedroom had a little bit more color. The double-sized bed was taking the biggest part of the room and it was pushed to the wall, so that the headboard was pressed firmly to the white latex. Two rugs (the same as the one in front of the balcony door) were placed on both sides of the wooden bed.

Danny's cot was placed near the wall and the rest of the room pretty much consisted of things for him – his potty, his travel cot full of toys, his toys box and the changing table he had since he was born.

The bathroom consisted of a tub, sink and a toilet seat. A towel rail was placed on the wall on top of the tub, and a small circle mirror was hanging on the wall over the sink.

"I can buy the paint tomorrow if you want. We'll paint each room a different color," Mike suggested.

"What? The entire two rooms? Please. How much paint will we waste?" Bella mocked.

Mike chuckled. "Should I remind you that you wanted it here?"

Bella pressed her finger to her lips, telling Mike to be quiet. He chuckled at her antics and waited for her to put a blanket over Daniel's sleeping body and kiss his forehead like she always did. Motioning for him to go, Bella closed the door softly behind her, trying to make as little noise as possible and not disturb Daniel's slumber.

"Do you want something to drink?" Bella asked once they were back in the main room. Mike plopped down on the yellowish couch in the center of the living room and rested his ankle on his knee.

"Sure, what are my options?"

Bella shrugged and walked over to the kitchenette, opening the refrigerator. "Thank God Emmett and Rosalie bought some groceries. I honestly don't think I'd have the strength to go out after the flight. I have beer, orange juice, milk, soda and formula. Take a pick."

"Uhh, formula, please."

Bella chuckled. "Oh, Mike, I might need to rethink you spending time around Danny. Your sarcastic remarks really make my day, but if my son starts using them I'm going to have to kill you. You're getting a beer."

She took out a bottle of beer and opened one of the kitchen drawers looking for an opener. She popped the cap of the bottle and handed it to Mike before pouring herself a cup of juice.

"So, what's the plan?" Mike asked, sipping from his beer.

Holding her glass in one hand, Bella walked over to the couch and elbowed Mike in the ribs. He hissed, but made more room for her to sit and lean her body against his. "I need to call Daniel's nanny and tell her we've arrived. She wanted to meet me in person, which is understandable."

Mike nodded, sipping his beer. "Anything planned for the evening. We could go out and have dinner. I know a nice restaurant a few blocks from here. It's great for people with small children."

"As appealing as it sounds I need to decline. I'm calling Edward tonight."

"What?" Mike asked bewildered. "You're calling him tonight? I thought you'd give it at least a week or two until you and Danny settle in?"

"That's the thing I don't want us to have time to settle down if shit hits the fan, you know."

Mike downed the last of his beer and patted Bella's thigh. "I'm going to leave you to rest and maybe unpack a bit. I'll call you later if you want to hang out."

Bella's hand grabbed his wrist the second he stood up from the couch. You had a beer just moments ago. Do you really think I'm going to let you drive right now? I have a perfectly…old DVD set and more movies than I have time to watch. Sit down and watch with me."

"Did you offer me this beer to tie me up into watching a chick-flick with you?"

She smirked. "Busted."

"Sneaky bitch."

* * *

"Just a second," Bella yelled from the bedroom when she heard the knock on her front door.

Turning her attention back at Danny, she buttoned his jeans and offered him her hand. He took it and jumped from the bed to the floor, running toward the door.

"Easy, you'll fall and get hurt." She reached the door and pulled Danny behind her, a habit she developed when Danny started walking.

"Hello, dear! I'm Lucy Donovan, the daycare woman," an elderly woman said, once Bella opened the door. She looked kind of emaciated, as if she were weak or dealing with an illness, but her cheeks were pink and her eyes were penetrating.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Donovan. Please come in." Bella opened the door wider and placed her hand on Danny's back, gently pulling him to the side, so that she would have more space to open the door.

"It's Lucy, sweetheart, please." Lucy shrugged from her crimson-colored suit jacket and placed it on the hanger near the door. Bella was happily surprised when she saw this woman. Although of age, she looked stylish and she obviously spared a few minutes to make herself presentable.

Patting her hair, as if to make sure none had fallen from her high chignon, Lucy smiled at Bella.

"Uh, please, come in," Bella said. Lucy walked through the door and gave Bella's apartment a once-over look. Bella's cheeks burned slightly from embarrassment, even though she knew there was nothing to be ashamed of. Her apartment was cleaner than the Health Department and there wasn't anything out of place.

"You have a wonderful home, Bella. It's very homey. I love that. You'd be surprised when I tell you, that I have been working in palaces and penthouses that were so cold and so un-lived in. I can't believe some people would actually raise their children in such a place."

Bella smiled warmly at Lucy and closed the door. She liked her; even if Lucy had a bad opinion of her apartment she kept it to herself. Tactical; that's a good quality.

"Can I offer you something? Tea, coffee, water, juice?"

"A glass of juice would be great, thank you. My doctors always tell me I should cut back on the caffeine."

Bella nodded and glanced down at Danny. She tried to teach him to be more outgoing when he met new people, but so far her efforts were useless. She hoped Danny hadn't inherited her shyness.

His big green eyes stared back at hers and a goofy grin danced on his lips. He was clutching his encyclopedia as if it was a life-preserver and bit down on his lower lip.

"Are you going to introduce yourself, baby?" Bella urged.

He looked down at his shoes, trying to hide, but he stepped forward nonetheless. He almost dropped the book he was holding when he unwrapped his small fingers from the cover, and opened his hand in invitation, saying his name proudly, "I'm Daniel Wakeup Swan."

"Oh, you're too cute for words, Mister Daniel," Lucy said, and shook his small hand with hers.

"Momma calls me Danny," he said, proudly, tilting his head backwards and showing his small, baby teeth.

"It's great to meet you, Danny."

Bella laughed and walked to the kitchen to pour three glasses of juice. She used carton-box juice from the store for her and Lucy and freshly squeezed for Danny.

She walked back to the living room, where Danny and Lucy had seated on the couch. Danny was explaining something enthusiastically, throwing his chubby arms in the air. Lucy looked very interested in everything he said.

Bella placed the small tray she was holding on the table and placed Lucy's glass in front of her. Lucy smiled at her, when she gave Danny his plastic cup with cap on, knowing that he probably spilled a lot on his clothes. She placed cookies in the middle of the table and sat in one of the armchairs.

Danny gulped his juice in one breath and cleaned his mouth with the back of his hand. "Can I go pway with Lego, Momma?"

"Sure, but on the floor. I don't want you to fall from the bed," she yelled after him, after he sprinted toward the bedroom.

"They grow up so fast. I still remember the day I fed him for the first time, like it was yesterday." Bella sighed and took a sip from her glass.

"Dear, before you know it, he'll be running off to college and you and your husband will be cuddled and sharing your pain," Lucy said.

Bella's mouth opened and closed several times, not knowing what to say. How do you tell a woman you just met officially, that not only you're not married, or have a boyfriend, but also that your son's father has no idea that he exists?

"Danny's father…um…he and I…we're not together…"

"I'm sorry. Are you okay? I had no idea—"

"It's fine, trust me. I had three years to adjust. There's this thing, though, and I kind of hoped I could use your help?"

"As long as my old body is capable of doing it, I'd be happy to help."

"I'm supposed to have a conversation with his father, tonight. Actually, tonight will be the first time he'll find out about Danny. He doesn't know he has a son, and—"

"You're afraid of his reaction?" Lucy added.

"Yes and no," Bella said, shaking her head. "I think I went over every single way that could go wrong, or how he would react. I'm just not sure, if he'll show up on my doorstep after that."

"You want me to look after the kid if he does?"

"Yes. I know it's unusual and you'd probably think bad of me for leaving my son to a woman I just met, but—"

"Enough of that please. I have no problem in looking after Danny for several hours. My grandsons will be at my house for the night, he'll even have company."

Bella took a deep, shaky breath. "I don't know. I don't even think Danny would agree to leave the house; he's kind of shy."

"He'll be fine. You worry too much. I just live down the street, sweetie; if he's uncomfortable I'll bring him back."

Bella looked at her honest eyes, wrinkled from the time passed and nodded her head.

Now all she had to do was dial the digits Mike had written her before he left and speak with Edward.

She had the feeling that the worst part was just beginning.

* * *

Bella sat on the counter, hugging her knees to her chest. The long-sleeved blue shirt she had on clung to her body like second skin. She played with the frayed ends of her jeans as they rested just above her knee.

Her phone was in her hands, but she had yet to find the courage to call Edward. Several times he typed the number, but deleted it, instead of pressing send. Her heart was pounding and the uneasy feeling of her stomach made her think she was going to hurl. She glanced at the red numbers on the microwave, showing the time and saw it was just past seven-thirty in the evening. She wondered if he'd still be in his office, since that was the only number she had, so she decided to give it a shot.

Danny and Lucy left the apartment only minutes before. Danny was so excited to meet Lucy's grandkids; he almost forgot to give Bella a kiss goodbye. Bella was positive he'd find new friends soon and his happy reaction to spending time with Lucy's grandchildren only added to that.

Sighing deeply and knowing she couldn't procrastinate the entire evening, Bella pressed the number she had and hit send holding her breath.

"Cullen Internationals, Jane Morris speaking. How can I help you?"

"I'm calling for Edward Cullen," Bella said, bringing her thumb to her mouth. Her teeth nervously bit at her nail as nervous ticks made her legs shake in anticipation.

"Mr. Cullen is not accepting calls at this hour," Jane said, accusingly. "Can I give him a message?"

"If it wasn't a matter of urgency, I'd have waited until the morning," Bella hissed. Now that she knew Edward was in the company for sure, she wasn't going to wait another minute to speak to him. Definitely not because of the less than professional attitude his secretary had toward her.

The woman on the line exhaled deep. "Name, please?"

"Isabella Swan. He might recall me as Bella," _or virgin chick_, she added silently. "We haven't heard each other for a while."

"I'll inform him of your call. Please stay on the line."

An annoying classical piece filled the awkward silence as Bella waited to be put through. Her hands were shaking and she chose to climb down from the counter and sit on the floor instead. Holding her legs close to her chest, Bella squeezed her eye shut, waiting for Edward's respond.

"Mr. Cullen will accept your call. I'll put you through."

Bella took a deep breath as she heard the line ring once, before he answered, "Cullen."

Her breath hitched. She hadn't heard his voice ever since he graduated him all those years ago. Unwanted memories flew through her mind. Words spat from his mouth, accusing, insulting. His actions: disgracing, hurtful. His face as he told her to get out of his bed, or when he publicly insulted her in front of his friends.

She toyed with the idea of ending the call before even uttering a single word, but she quickly shook that thought away. She came here for a reason, she was a woman on a mission and no matter what, she wasn't going to leave until she said her piece.

"H-hello?" Bella clenched her teeth and willed herself to stop stuttering. "Um…"

"Yes?" Edward said, irritation filling his voice.

_Get yourself together, Bella. _"I'm…well…I'm..."

Sighing in irritation, Edward huffed, "Listen, I don't have all night. Cut the stuttering and speak, or I won't bother myself with you anymore."

Punching the floor next to her, Bella cleared her throat and spoke with all determination she could.

"I think we have to meet each other."

"And why would we do that?" he asked.

"Because it's time for you to finally meet your son," Bella said, biting so hard on her bottom lip she pierced the skin.

On the other side of town, Edward's eyes snapped open. His memories of Bella were hazy at best, but he could clearly remember the way she felt as he fucked her on his bed three or more years ago.

"Come again," he hissed standing up from his chair. He curled his hands into fists and pressed them hard against the mahogany plot of his desk. Leaning down, his eyes glared at the phone. "Listen, I have no idea what game are you trying to pull here, but let me tell from the beginning it's not going to happen."

Hearing Bella take a shallow breath, she said. "We…met three years ago…um…I got pregnant—"

"I was careful in my sex ad classes I know where babies come from. Where did yours — if you even really have one — came from though, I'm not so sure."

This day just could get any worse. Edward rubbed his hands up and down his face roughly as the woman he spoke took her sweet time answering between every sentence she spoke.

"Look, I thought you should know about your son, if you—"

"I don't have a son!" he yelled, slamming his fists on the office table. "Do you have any idea how many times women come to me and try to push their babies into my arms, saying they're mine? Dozens! I haven't even slept with half of them. You're using an old trick for money."

"September twenty-sixth, 2008," she said, her voice had risen and she was almost shouting. "There was a party in your apartment. I came with your sister, Alice. Remember me? The virgin chick!"

His lips curled up and he sneered at the receiver. "You're a lying bitch you know that?"

"I don't care what you think of me. I did what I had to do. I told you about your son," she chuckled and continued. He heard her sniffling, before she said the next words. "When he grows up and asks me why you're not here, I'll make sure to repeat the same thing you told me."

The line went dead, before he could insult her any further.

He sat back on his chair and clicked the re-dial button. The number she called from flashed on the small screen. He picked his cell phone up and called his private investigator.

"Jenks," he spat. "I have a home phone number, make sure to give me an address in the next ten minutes, or I'm not responsible for my actions."

He tossed his phone on the desk and buried his fingers in his hair, pulling at the roots. More flashes passed through his head and he thought he was going crazy.

He remembered her. Not Bella per-say, but the first cherry he'd popped. Flashes from that night came crashing down on him. She was nothing special: decent body and a face good enough to look at. She was spread on the bed, he was hovering above her. He was anxious to enter her, to finally settle inside of something so tight. The only thing that flashed to his mind was entering her.

He didn't remember putting a condom on.

"Fuck!" He pushed his chair back and it toppled over. In his fit of rage, he pushed the documents that were lying on his bed on the ground. He grabbed the closest thing he could find and threw it at the window behind him. The huge glass shattered as the signed baseball ball pierced through it. He was breathing heavily, the blood pumping to his ears.

His cell phone rang a second later. "You better have that address."

"1936 Harbor Ave. S.W., Seattle, WA 98126."

Edward wrote the address and ended the call without saying another word.

He opened his office door forcefully and heard it hit the wall. Without bothering with his suit jacket, only wearing a dress shirt he ran to the elevators. His fist was curled up around the white piece of paper with Bella's address on as he punched the elevator button several times, as if this would make it appear any faster.

"Edward." He heard his name being called from beside him and snapped his head toward the sound. "It's good to see you."

"Not now, Mike," Edward hissed. He had enough shit on his mind to deal with his dumb best friend. Truth was he only hired him because Mike was good at throwing bitches away when necessary. He couldn't give a damn about him otherwise.

Edward pushed past him harshly and climbed into the elevator before his annoying friend could ask him to catch up.

The beep signaling he had finally reached the first floor rang before the doors opened. Edward all but ran toward the parking lot, opening the door to his silver Aston Martin ONE-77 and inserted the address from the paper to his GPS system.

He was out of the parking lot with a cloud of dust behind him.

* * *

Bella was hyperventilating in the kitchen by the time she said her last words to Edward. What was she thinking? He could accept both of them and they could be a family? He could just hug Danny and everything would be fine? She fisted her hair and hit her forehead several times into the fridge's door. This was not a fairytale and Edward wasn't Prince Charming.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. She picked the phone again and called Lucy, telling her that she could bring Danny back whenever she wanted. Lucy asked her how the conversation with his father went and Bella couldn't get the words out that were on the tip of her tongue.

Disastrous.

Horrible.

Insulting.

Breaking.

"As expected," she finally said.

Lucy agreed to bring Danny back once he was done with his dinner. Bella spoke her gratitude and walked to the bedroom to make Danny and hers' beds for sleep. She tried to ignore the feeling of despair that threatened to overtake her. She hadn't put her hopes up, but she definitely hadn't prepared herself for this kind of reaction.

She was just putting a pillowcase on a pillow when she heard a harsh knock on the door. She placed the pillow back on the bed and walked to the door, to greet her son and Lucy.

Only that it was not Danny on the other side of the door.

It was Edward.

And he looked pissed.

Without an invite, he pushed her aside and walked into the apartment. Bella's eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open from the shock of seeing him again.

Those three years only made him even more breathtaking than before. The muscles on his back were visible through the black dress shirt. His muscular legs were hugged by the expensive material of his dark blue dress pants.

He could even pass as beautiful…if his eyes weren't so dark and full of hatred.

"So tell me," he spat. "Where's my supposed son?"

Bella was only shaking her head, her fingers trembling from the fear she was feeling. She had to get him out of there as soon as possible.

Danny was on his way home.

Edward's eyes snapped to the big family portrait on the wall above the door. A gorgeous toddler with too familiar and piercing green eyes was staring back at him. He was encircled by the arms of a happy, beautiful woman.

He didn't do her justice.

His eyes travelled from the photo to Bella and back again. Her body was slim, but her hips were a little but too wide for her small form. Her breasts were bigger than in his memory and her hair was shorter, but cut stylishly. Her white teeth were worrying her bottom lip and her big doe eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

"So?" he spat. "I'm waiting."

"Get out," she whispered. She had to do something, anything to get him out of her apartment before her son walked home.

He snorted. "Do you fucking hear yourself?"

He stared at her in disbelief. What kind of game she was trying to play was beyond him. Here he was — powerful and rich — standing in a one-bedroom apartment looking at the woman who claimed to be the mother of his child.

"What exactly do you want?" he asked, irritation evident in his voice. Edward knew of Bella's type, he even encountered women such as her more than he would have wanted in his life. His net worth and his charms drew gold-diggers like magnets and the young woman in front of him wasn't any different.

He looked at her all over, stopping his gaze on her frightened face. Gone was the feistiness she greeted him with. Her big chocolate, almond-shaped eyes were reddened with the tears she was fighting so hard to keep in bay. There was something about her — he wouldn't call it beauty and he couldn't say it was lustfulness. Her features reminded him more of a child, rather than a woman, but still he could see what had allured him to her three years ago — her innocence.

"I just want my son to know his father," she said quietly. Clearing her throat and with much deeper voice, she continued, "And I want to at least give you the chance to know he exists. How is this bad? He is a wonderful child, and I know you can feel his pain. Alice told me you technically grew up without a father yourself—" Bella began, but Edward's hard gaze stopped her.

He looked so violent then, Bella felt a shudder run down her spine. Her knees trembled no matter how hard she tried to appear strong and independent.

Edward ran in Bella's direction like a predator seeking his victim **—** just like the lion prepares for an attack. She was just standing there, scared. Her soft features became a grimace, like she was feeling actual physical pain.

He pushed her hard into the nearest wall, immediately caging her between his strong arms. His jade-colored eyes were impossibly hard on her, his shoulders heaving with the heavy breaths he took.

"I have no idea why in God's name I stuck my dick in you all those years ago, but if you think that bastard you claim is mine is going to take a dime of my money, you've got something else coming," he spat.

"Listen, Edward—" Bella started, but he cut her off.

"Did I tell you it is okay for you to use my first name? It is Mr. Cullen to you, little one. Matter of fact, I want a DNA test, and if that little human actually turns out to be mine, I swear to the Lord above, dear what-is-your-name, I will take that child away and you'll never see it again!" he hissed.

Bella's eyes went wide. Although naïve, she wasn't stupid. She was perfectly aware of his wealth and although that hadn't been the reason she contacted him, she knew what money were capable of doing these days. The tears she fought so hard not to let fall, escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, leaving a wet trail on her creamy-colored skin.

In that moment all she wanted was to grab her child and run as far away from Edward Cullen as possible.

"You can't," she said sternly, her voice breaking. "I won't allow it." Her last words lost the threatening stance she was trying to show as she chocked on a sob.

Unbothered by her distress, Edward spat, "I built an empire overnight! I can do as I please!"

Moving her head to the sides, as if she was trying to shake herself off of a terrible thought she quietly whimpered, "Please…I won't bother you again. Just leave me alone. I swear I won't contact you again. My son doesn't need this in his life. He's two years old!"

Edward chuckled darkly, leaning in closer to her. He brought his face to hers and she briefly wondered how she though he was beautiful all those years ago when she saw nothing but ugliness from him tonight.

"I'll make you regret the moment you ever met me! You won't win this game." Edward pushed himself away from Bella and grabbed her chin in between his fingers tilting her head back until she was looking at him. She whimpered in fear as he spoke, "I'll end you."

He turned his back on her, hearing only her labored breathing and heartbreaking sobs as she slid down the wall and onto the floor. She hugged her legs close to her chest and buried her face in her knees, trying to fight for every breath she took.

Turning his head back, Edward watched her for what seemed to be the longest time. Her distress and her pain were left bare, in plain sight for him to witness, but instead of guilt that he had caused her to be like this, Edward felt repulsion.

"I must have been really drunk to fuck you," he said, shaking his head, and walked away from a petrified Bella Swan.

Just as he placed his arm on the handle, the door opened and he stood face to face with an old woman, holding a toddler in her arms.

A toddler that strikingly resembled him when he was younger.

Everyone froze in place. Lucy was tightening her arms around Danny as she registered the look of distress on Bella's face. Edward was piercing a hole in Danny's head, unmoving his eyes from his.

DJ was so engaged in looking at Edward he didn't see his mother's tear-stained face; he didn't hear her gasp, and didn't see the hand flying to cover her mouth.

A small, goofy smile played on Danny's lips. A giggle erupted from his chest and he covered his head in Lucy's neck for a second before looking at Edward again.

"Youw eyes awe gween as mine," he said, another giggle breaking the silence.

And in that moment, Edward just knew. No DNA test or any statement could change what was before him.

His eyes found Bella's and he turned around and walked the steps until he was hovering over her. His eyes were wide and wet, as if he was biting back tears, when in fact they just stung from being open for so long.

He leaned down to Bella and hissed with venom into her ear. "My advice for you, find a good lawyer. You just started a war you won't end up as a winner."

Edward turned around and walked away from Bella, his eyes stopping on the child's ones who were wet and puffy, looking at Bella.

He shook his head and walked out of the apartment, leaving — beyond a point of doubt — his son and his mother there.

* * *

_Reviews are much appreciated. You can find links to my Facebook group and Twitter on my profile._


	8. And Then He Started It

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M** (**NC-17**), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human; OOC; Plot is property of **b. krumova**. _©2011-2012._

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then He Started It_

Edward closed the door to his Aston Martin so forcefully, it shook the two-seater coupe. He punched the leather-covered steering wheel and leaned back, resting his head on the comfortable headrest.

He breathed deep and exhaled, trying to calm his anger down without luck. He was afraid that his temper might get the best of him and he'd take it all out on his car, which by itself, was a blasphemous thought. Being one of the seventy-seven owners of this car all over the world made him glow with pride.

He pressed the brake, shifted the gear into drive and brought his V12 engine to life. Giving the car gas, he pressed the gear all the way down. The car launched forward at the speed of 60 mph, leaving a tire treads on the asphalt, and smell of burned tire in the air.

He didn't let go of the accelerator, watching the arrow on the dashboard going slowly from 70 mph to 80 mph. He ignored all of the STOP signs as well as the red lights. He couldn't care less. It was after nine p.m. anyway, the roads were almost clear, especially on that side of Seattle.

His grip on the wheel tightened, images of the small boy's eyes clouded his mind. The speed kept on rising and he was soon going 130 mph. – To the passerby's the car was just a noisy blur.

Bella's cry echoed in his head like a nightmare. He made a vow to himself that he would hear her cry again — when he extracted that kid away from her.

Her kid.

_His_ kid.

He was going to ask for a DNA test, of course. His eyes could be lying to him, and she sure as hell could be lying to him, but there was something else that screamed at him — the green-eyed kid was his.

His heart, which for years, hadn't served any other purpose than pumping out blood. He couldn't remember the last time he loved something, let alone _someone_.

The traffic on I-90 was quite significant, but he didn't decrease the speed with which he was driving. He slid easily in between cars, earning himself insults and the sound of horns as he passed.

He slid into the middle express line, before turning the car with reckless speed at the segment of SR – 519 and then down to 4th Avenue South, leading to the Seattle City Center. He almost crushed the back side of the car into a pillar because he took the turn at such a high speed.

A yellow light switched to red before him, but he didn't care and kept on driving. He was so lost in thought he didn't see the homeless person who tried to cross the street. The man was almost at the car's trajectory, when he heard, rather than saw, the vehicle coming in his direction. The man jumped backwards, landing on his back, but feeling the extreme pain coming from his foot.

Edward felt the bump when he passed and his car jerked to the side. He hit the brakes, stopping the car diagonally on the street. His scared eyes met their reflection in the rear-view mirror, looking at the mess he had left behind.

He saw the middle-aged person trying to reach his leg. He was crying and screaming in agony, obviously needing medical help. His leg, or at least the ankle, was broken for sure, maybe in more places than one.

"Fuck," Edward mumbled, trying to unclasp the seatbelt. His hands trembled as he found the red button trying to free himself from the car. His eyes were frozen on the rear-view mirror as he saw the man he had hit cry out in agony.

Finally free from his seat, Edward jumped from the car just as he saw the man he hit lying down on the asphalt. At first he thought he'd died from some hemorrhage, but as he got closer he saw the man had simply lied down to cry.

Edward patted his pockets for his cell phone cursing when he remembered leaving it in the office before he stormed out of there. His eyes were wide, looking at the man he hit. It was obvious he had no family or home, anywhere he could go.

Seeing no street phones around and hearing no other cars coming down the road, Edward ran back to his car and started the engine. The sooner he got home the sooner he could call for help.

As soon as Edward stepped foot in his penthouse he heard his phone ringing. He closed the door shut and walked over to the coffee table in his living room before grabbing the headset.

Before he could even speak, he heard a voice scream at him from the other line. "Are you out of your damned mind?!"

Edward signed as he recognized the voice of Peter Summers — his inside man at the traffic patrol office. He was responsible for the camera footage of the street's cameras in Seattle. Edward had used his services in more than one occasion. Thanks to Peter, Edward's file was so clean. Not even a speeding ticket.

"Hit and run!" Peter continued to yell. "I have busted your ass for a lot of things, Cullen, I'm not cleaning your name for this one!"

Edward clenched his jaw. "You better do what you have to do to make that record disappear, Summers. It'd be a shame for your father to get fired two years to retirement."

"You have to stop blackmailing me with my father! You almost killed a person!"

"I own Global Rights for a reason, Peter. I've had the day of my fucking life and all I need is someone like you to lose it completely. You'll delete this goddamn tape and no one will know anything about it, you hear me?"

"Aren't you at least interested in what happened to the poor person?" Peter snapped.

He was, after all that's why Edward rushed home — to call somebody. Knowing Peter, however, it was all taken care of now. Although corrupt, Peter Summers had a conscience.

Edward remained silent and Peter continued, "I called an ambulance for him as soon as I saw what happened, by the way. I can remove the footage, but this person has a mouth. I'd like to see how you'd cover that up. You're the only one driving a car like this. It wouldn't be a Rubik's cube to figure out who shattered this guy's bones."

"Delete the footage and let _me_ worry about that man. I'm warning you Peter, you better make that happen, now. You know I can crush you."

"I know I have it on tape. I'll delete it, but this is the last fucking time!"

Peter snapped the phone shut and buried his head in his hands. He couldn't remember what motivated him to cover Edward Cullen's ass so many times. The money he was paid was more than his salary and he never had to cover something more than traffic violations. This was a totally new picture to be drawn, though.

Peter took the disk out and pocketed it. He wasn't going to delete such a compromising evidence of Edward Cullen. One day he might need it.

* * *

"Mr. Cullen, your ten o'clock meeting is waiting for you in your office," Jane informed.

Last night, after ending his call with Peter, Edward called Jasper Hale, his lawyer. Ironically, Jasper was Rosalie's first cousin. Edward and Jasper met in high-school around the same time Edward was dating Rosalie.

Jasper Hale was two years older than Edward, but he had already made a name for himself in the law world. He was merciless in the court room and he wasn't afraid to play dirty or pay the necessary amount to get what he wants in court.

Which was exactly what Edward needed in that moment.

"Cancel all of my meetings today. I don't want to be disturbed no matter how important or urgent a certain matter is, are we clear?" he snapped.

Jane gulped loudly and nodded. "Your…your mother called. She left you a message."

Edward stopped mid-step and looked at the inappropriate attire his receptionist was wearing. His hands curled up slightly in balls, trying to keep his temper under control. He was very adamant about the clothes his employees wore at work.

He had no problem whatsoever to look at fine female bodies — and Jane had a killer body — but he was strict about dress code.

"First of all, put a blazer on top of that skimpy shirt you have on — you're working in a billion dollar company, not a street corner. I don't care that it's ninety degrees outside, you're blood will boil inside those clothes if it has to, even though, I'm positive that the chilly October weather is cooling your skin rather well."

Jane's face flamed with embarrassment. She opened her mouth to express her apologies, but she wasn't given the word.

"Second, is it the tenth?" he asked.

"Yes," Jane stuttered.

"Correct answer." Edward clapped his hands together in a mocking gesture. "Isn't she calling _every_ month on the same date?"

"Yes." Jane looked at her feet, feeling the inquisition she was under, making her chin tremble.

"And have I taken her message even once for the duration over the past two years?"

"No," she mumbled, still avoiding Edward's eyes.

"Why waste your breath then, informing me of the message?" Edward looked at the platinum Rolex he had on his left wrist. "Now you wasted three minutes of my time; minutes in which I would have been doing something much more important than chat with a secretary. I'll make sure to remember this when it comes time for Christmas bonuses."

He continued to walk down the hall, until he reached his office.

Opening the door he was greeted by a sight which made his jaw clench.

"You're sitting in my chair and your dirty cheap shoes are on my agarwood office desk. Do you think I'm in a mood to get pissed off?"

Jasper Hale raised his hands in surrender, a golden wedding band drawing Edward's attention to his ring finger. Jasper stood up from Edward's chair, his six foot frame and well-built body complimented by the multi-striped grey suit he had on. He ran his fingers through his chin length dirty-blonde hair and smirked at Edward, showing his whitened veneers.

"What's wrong with your teeth?" Edward asked, clamping a hand on his back in silent greeting before he sat down on the presidential chair behind his desk.

Jasper unbuttoned his suit jacket and fixed the black tie he had on. "Well, I couldn't leave the signs of my hockey career to become a problem."

Edward laughed out loud. "Your hockey career? You mean that _one_ game you played in which you which you got you two front teeth knocked out and had my slutty sister blow you while you were crying like a baby?"

"Shut up." Jasper threw Edward the bird and Edward's eyes locked on the wedding band again.

"I'm surprised; you married Alice and she didn't call to ask for a big check. Is the money I send her monthly enough?"

It was Jasper's turn to laugh. "You think I married Alice? Please, even I have more taste than that."

Edward shrugged, not interested in defending his sister's honor.

"Remember my girlfriend from college, Maria?"

"The Canadian?" Edward raised his eyebrows. "Did you get her tested before that?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Of course. The emigration services wanted to deport her because her work visa expired. I couldn't win the case, so I married her. She lets me take her in the ass as gratitude."

"What Alice doesn't?" Edward asked. He found it hard to believe that Alice might have some morals after all.

"Are you kidding me? Alice is like a walking VD clinic. After the rash I had last time I won't be dipping into that again."

Both man shared a laugh at the expense of Edward's sister. Edward couldn't care less about Alice at that moment, especially since she was the reason he was in this mess in the first place. She introduced virgin chick to him.

Jasper's blue eyes looked at Edward's green ones. "Why am I here?"

Edward's jaw clenched when he remembered the reason he called Jasper.

"A woman claims that her child is mine."

Jasper chuckled. "She's number … fifty-four if I'm correct."

Edward didn't laugh with him. Jasper should have known that Edward would never call him if he thought that it wasn't something serious.

"When did you find out?" Jasper asked, taking in Edward's frown.

"She called me yesterday. I went to her house and saw the kid."

Jasper sighed. "What do you need me for? She wants alimony?"

"No, she wants the kid to have a father, or so she says. I can't have something like that in my way. I don't know what might get into that little head of hers with time. I want to be sure."

"I still don't understand what you need me for."

"I want the boy — full custody. Once the trial is done, the kid gets shipped to a boarding school and I'm no longer interested in it. My money will be safe and that stupid bitch will be out of my way."

"Please repeat that in court, the case would be ours with no effort," Jasper remarked sarcastically. "You realize that no court will take a child away from its mother for no reason at all, right?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know if there's a reason or not? I just met the kid last night." Edward snapped. "She could be hitting him for all I know."

Jasper looked at Edward for a few minutes, before a smirk appeared on his face. "What's the kid's name?"

Edward snapped his eyes to his and glared. "I have no idea."

Jasper laughed and stood up from the chair he was occupying, walking around the room.

"Let's see if I got this straight. You want to take a woman to court, who mothered a child that could possibly be yours for …"

"… about three years." Edward continued the sentence.

"… for about three years, without any actual cause but your stupid, immature presumptions. She raised the kid alone I assume, all this time, wants nothing from you, but a father figure in her son's life. That's a lost case from every direction you look at it."

"You're not helping me, Jasper." Edward warned.

"You're not helping yourself!" Jasper snapped. "You call me when you know nothing. How am I supposed to represent you in court?"

Edward sighed deeply and buried his long, slender fingers in his hair. His hard eyes stared at the edge of the expensive wooden desk.

Jasper rolled his eyes and picked up the headphone of his office phone and handed it to Edward. "Call Jenks. Tell him you want to know everything. Tell him to dig dirt. Parking tickets, late bills, any law violations no matter how small they are. I want everything."

Edward looked at Jasper's outstretched arm for the longest time before he snatched the headphone from his hand, putting it back in place before putting the call on speaker. Punching Jenks' number he listened to the ring twice before his PI answered.

"Mr. Cullen, lovely to hear from you again," Jenks answered greasily.

It wasn't a secret that James Jenks was homosexual, but to Jasper it was a surprise that Jenks actually had interest in Edward. Jasper laughed loudly, which only earned him a glare from Edward's direction.

"The phone number I asked you to track yesterday, do you still have it?"

"Yes, of course I do, as well as the address."

"If I also give you a name, how much can you find for me?"

"Legally, or not?"

"I want everything, especially the dirty laundry!"

"Give me the name," Jenks said.

"Isabella Swan."

* * *

It was after even in the evening when James Jenks showed up in Edward's office with the information he had found. During the day, Jasper had called many of his associates, trying to gather as much information as he could about a _hypothetical_ case such as Edward's. When he found out only added to his doubts. The only way they can win this case was if they could prove neglect or abuse.

Jenks was good at what he did, even though his appearance was more than comical. His suits didn't fit well on his thin, womanly body. His long, sandy blonde hair was pulled back and held there with a rubber band.

"Make yourself comfortable. I sure as hell hope you'll be speaking for a long time." Edward motioned to Jenks to sit down next to Jasper before he leaned back in his chair.

Jenks spilled documents all over Edward's desk and began reciting everything he had found so far. "Her name is Isabella Michelle Swan. Born July 13th, 1991 in Forks, a small town in the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State; just a few hours from Seattle. She has a master degree from Harvard in International Affairs and Economics."

"Okay, give me something more than just information I could find on the internet," Edward said, annoyed.

Jenks sighed and continued. "Currently unemployed, she recently rented the apartment I gave you the address to yesterday. She was engaged for Jacob Anthony Black for three years, but I didn't find any records of them actually tying the knot. Apparently they lived together in Cambridge up until a week ago. She was using his health insurance."

"She was engaged," Edward hissed. "That child could not even be mine for all I know."

"We'll be demanding a DNA test, Edward. Lose the fucking stick that's up your ass," Jasper chastised. "What about the kid."

Jenks shuffled though some documents before speaking again, "His name is Daniel Jacob Swan, born June 20th 2010 in Cambridge—"

"Stop there," Edward barked. He grabbed the paper Jenks was reading only to see it was a copy of the medical records from the hospital Isabella had given birth to.

"June 20th? Daniel?" Jasper chuckled. "She's good, she's really good. June 20th, that makes the date of conception the end of September. Now if you tell me you fucked her in July my work here is done."

Edward huffed. "Freshman orientation week three years ago."

"Which is the last week of September, great," Jasper mumbled.

"Give me the dirt," Edward hissed at Jenks.

"There's none. She's as pure as a white snow. She doesn't even have one outdated bill. Her taxes are paid, she has money in her bank account, she even volunteered in a children's hospital two summers ago."

Jasper laughed. "Great, we've got ourselves a Mother Theresa."

"Well, she's not Virgin Mary."

Jasper smirked. "Mr. Jenks, I'd like for you to leave all of the information you have with me."

"You'll be taking my case?" Edward asked.

"I'll see what these papers will tell me, but I don't believe I'll find something that would make her look unfit to be a mother, Edward. No court will take a child from a woman as her."

"So what do we do?" Edward asked.

Jasper grinned. "You can always pee on the white snow, you know."

"What? We'll make her look like a bad mother somehow?"

"Oh, yeah! Two weeks from now, Miss Isabella Marie Swan will be in front of the jury, trying to keep the kid. I'll win this case for you Edward. This bitch has pricked my interest."

* * *

_Reviews are much appreciated. You can find links to my Facebook group and Twitter on my profile._


	9. And Then She Got Served

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A passionate night three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __She Got Served_

Bella always wondered if it's possible to have a slow motion moment in your life like in the movies. To feel the seconds like hours, the minutes like days and the weeks like years.

Her eyes remained glued to at Edward's departing figure. Her ears were ringing and she felt like she was underwater. She was aware that Danny's sobs were breaking the silence in the room and she knew that the clicking sound surrounding her was because the ring positioned on her trembling left hand was colliding with the wall behind her, but somehow all of those things weren't as loud as his footsteps.

Loud, angry, leaving footsteps.

Even after the door to the apartment was forcefully shut, she could still hear the heels of his dress shoes walking down the hallway.

Her heartbeats got louder and louder and the room became blurry. She couldn't hear anything other than the loud pumps of her heart.

_Thump, thump, thump, thump._

Each beat became faster and faster. Her heart felt like it was about to jump right out of her chest. The dizziness surrounded her and she wondered if that was the feeling you get when you have a heart attack.

She was positive she was going to collapse any second now.

Bella heard her name being called in the distance, but she couldn't respond. Her lips felt dry from the shuddered breaths coming in and out of her mouth.

"You're having a panic attack, dear. Relax. Breathe with me."

She couldn't. She tried, but it was hard.

"Momma," Danny cried. "Momma."

Her tear-filled eyes began frantically searching for her son's ones. He wasn't in Lucy's arms anymore and he was not next to the door when she last saw him standing.

Bella felt something tugging on her boy shorts. Her eyes looked down and she met the puffy eyes of her son. The smoldering jade color of his irises was shining, surrounded by the redness and the moisture filling his eyes.

She fell down on her knees and crushed his little body to hers. Sitting down on her heels, she lifted Danny and positioned him in her lap, pressing his head to her chest.

She kissed his hair over and over again, her tears never stopping, on the contrary even, becoming body-shaking sobs rocking her entire being.

"Shhh," she shushed Danny. "Mommy's here, baby. Mommy won't let you go."

Danny's small chubby arms were holding onto her like a life jacket. His cries were now only sniffling shuddered breaths.

Bella raised her eyes and met Lucy's heartbroken face. Bella nodded to her, "We'll be fine. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Are you sure you're all right, sweetheart? I could stay if you'd like me to."

"We'll be fine. Go spend some time with your grandchildren."

Bella could see the internal battle in Lucy. She had no intention of leaving her alone with her son in the condition she was in. Less than a minute ago she couldn't even respond to her.

"I promise I'll be fine. I would never ask you to leave if I wasn't one hundred percent sure."

Lucy stayed silent and considered leaving the apartment. She would have never been able to forgive herself for leaving Danny with Bella in the condition she was in at that moment, but somehow she trusted Bella.

Never had she seen a mother so in love with her child.

Lucy sighed. "I'll come by first thing in the morning to have coffee … or well, tea. It's probably going to be in the _early_ hours of the day."

Bella nodded and thanked Lucy one more time, watching her walking slowly toward the door. With her hand on the knob, Lucy turned one more time and looked at Bella with concern eyes, before walking outside and closing the door after her.

Her head hit the wall behind her and her palm caressed the back of Danny's head. His hair had grown again and Bella hated the fact that he resembled his father so much more this way.

"Are you okay, Danny?" she asked.

She felt him nod. "Why you sad, Momma?"

She forced a smile and looked at him. Ever since the day he was born she never lied to him. Danny was bright and Bella had no intention of making him believe in things that weren't true. She never told him his father was far away in Heaven, or that he was fighting the bad guys at war. She didn't lie to him that Santa brought the gifts home and she always told him how she felt.

She wasn't going to lie to him now.

"You remember when Lauren's son, Tom, and you got angry at each other for the broken toy truck?" she asked. Danny stuck his bottom lip out in a pout and nodded. "You felt bad and cried, right?"

"Who bwoke youw toy, Momma?"

Bella shook her head. "Someone wants to take my … most important toy away from me. That's why Momma is sad."

Danny's expression turned sour. "The uncwe wif gween eyes?" he asked.

Bella's heart skipped a beat. _Yes, your father._ "He's not your uncle, but yes. He … wants my … toy." She felt so wrong calling him a toy, but she knew he wouldn't understand her, and if he did there would be questions unlocked she's not yet ready to answer.

"He not like Uncwe Wake and Uncwe Em?"

"No."

Whether it was the tone in which she spoke the last words, or the expression on her face, it made Danny stop him interrogation.

"I'm sleepy."

"I'm sleepy, too," Bella replied. "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

Danny nodded and raised his arms in the air, wrapping them tightly around Bella's neck. She stood from the floor, awkwardly trying to support Danny with one hand and lift them both with the other. She stumbled a little, but braced herself at the door frame.

The walk to her bedroom was short. She placed Danny in a sitting position on the edge of the bed and turned to the dresser to grab pajamas for him. She undressed him quickly and grabbed his potty from the bathroom, positioning it next to the bed.

She kneeled next to him and touched his face tenderly.

"You know I love you more than anything, right?"

Danny gave her a goofy smile. "I wof you, Momma."

Bella smiled at him and kissed his cheek. She asked him if he was done and when he nodded in agreement, she helped him stand up from the potty.

Together they walked to the bathroom and she gave him a quick shower, touching his nose with her soupy finger and laughing when the white foam covered the tip. She finished the shower and covered with blue fluffy towel. Bella tickled him gently and he giggled.

She made him lie down on the changing table and fetched a diaper from the diaper bag next to her. She had been trying to quit him from the diapers for a few weeks and he had been adapting great. She only used them at nighttime.

Bella dressed him for sleep and hugged him, bringing him to the bed. She quickly changed out of her own clothes and dressed in a nightgown before lying down next to him.

Danny brought his small to rest on her stomach as he always did. The rise and fall of each breath were like a lullaby to him. He was asleep within minutes.

Bella didn't sleep that night. She stared at the ceiling and ignored her aching muscles from standing in the same position for hours. Silent tears slid down her temple and disappeared in her hair. She beat herself up for being so naïve yet again. People never changed, they just adapt to the new environment.

She knew Mike had nothing to do with it, but she hated him in this moment. She couldn't help but think how their life might have turned out if she had stayed in Cambridge with Jacob and Vanessa.

Bella thought about grabbing the kid and going back, but she knew this was not an option anymore. Edward was powerful, much more powerful than she had given him credit for. If he wanted Danny he would take him, even if she ran to the end of the world.

"I love you, baby. Momma won't let anything happen to you. I'd die before I give you to him. He'll have you over my dead body," she whispered in the night.

As she closed her eyes and grit her teeth together she knew that this was going to be the last night she ever fell apart because of Edward Cullen. He may be rich and controlling, but he was no parent.

Nobody should ever underestimate the lines a parent would cross for the sake of their children.

**xxXxx**

"You look tired." Lucy took a sip from her tea, watching Bella pouring coffee in a mug.

Bella raised an eyebrow at her and Lucy laughed. "I'm sorry. Stupid old me, of course you're tired. You haven't slept at all, have you?"

"I guess I forgot to look under the bed for monsters. I was on the edge the entire night."

"Where's the little one, anyway?" Lucy asked.

"It's seven in the morning, he's still asleep. I just transferred him in his crib. He had a very restless sleep, he kicks and punches and tosses all over the bed."

Lucy took another sip from her cup of tea, before she placed it back on the coffee table. She crossed her legs and looked at Bella. "What are you going to do?"

"I was thinking about going out with Danny today. Make myself known to the neighborhood."

Lucy shook her head. "That's not what I meant and you know it. What are you going to do about Danny's father?"

"I'm going to call my lawyer and best friend today, and ask her for advice. She'll know how to proceed from there."

"Do you want me to watch Danny for you?" Lucy asked. "I have no problem, whatsoever. Your child is adorable, Bella. You did a great job with him."

"Thank you, but I'm going to be fine today. I really want to have a tour around. I'm going to call Rosalie a little later."

"Why don't you call her now?" Lucy asked.

"It's still early—"

"No. There's a three hour difference. Its ten a.m. in Cambridge." Lucy corrected.

"I'm an idiot."

"No, you're not. You're a worried mother. Call your friend while the little one is still asleep and see what she'll tell you to do, _then_ make plans for the day."

Bella looked at Lucy and smiled at her. "Thank you for being here, Lucy. I really appreciate it."

"Nonsense, dear. It's my pleasure!"

Bella jumped from the couch and walked to the kitchen to retrieve her cell phone from the kitchen. She glanced at her open laptop on her way there and she saw she had a new e-mail. She walked to the dining room table and sat in front of her laptop, opening the e-mail.

_Dear, Ms. Swan,_

_Global Rights, an international human rights capacity-building organization, seeks a Senior Manager for Development and Communications to manage the proposal writing and reporting process for Global Rights' programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and help develop print and online promotional materials for a variety of internal and external audiences to convey the organizational mission and messages effectively and consistently._

_Your application for the post of Administrative Assistant was outstanding over hundreds of others. Your professors' letters spoke highly of you and we would like to offer you a job interview in nearest future._

_Your job will contain d__eveloping and writing grant proposals and reports; editing proposals and reports drafted by field offices; identifying government and foundation funding prospects; cultivating current and prospective donors; ensuring integration of grants planning and management with financial processes and procedures; and helping to develop marketing materials such as website content, emails, brochures, and annual reports._

_We would love to hear from you by the end of this work week._

_Sincerely, _

_Thomas Summers,_

_CFO, Global Rights, Seattle, Washington._

_Development and Communications Search_

_Global Rights_

_1200 4th Street, Seattle, Suite 102_

_Seattle, Washington__ 20036_

"Oh, my God!" Bella whispered.

"What's going on, dear?" Lucy asked, walking behind her.

"I have a job interview for _Global Rights_ as Administrative Assistant. I don't even remember applying for this position."

"Maybe someone did it for you," Lucy noted.

Bella's eyes watered and she smiled a sad smiled. "I'm even sure who did it."

She looked at Lucy's hand on her shoulder and then her eyes. "Great job! Now go make that phone call before the boy wakes up."

Bella jumped from her chair and walked to the kitchen counter, grabbing her cell phone. She opened her contacts list and scrolled down until she found Rosalie's number.

"_Rosalie Hale,"_ Rosalie answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Rose. It's Bella."

"_Hello, forgot-to-call-my-best-friend-when-I-landed-stupid-bitch. You're lucky I don't want to leave DJ without a mother."_

"I'm sorry. Everything is a big mess here and—"

"_What did that idiot do?"_ Rosalie asked.

Bella explained to Rosalie everything. She didn't save one detail from last night's encounter. She told her about Edward's threats of taking Danny away and for the meeting between Edward and Danny.

"_Fuck! I really want to scream 'I told you so,' but I know you're in no mood for t__hat right now,"_ Rosalie hissed.

"I don't know what he's going to do, Rose. He was so angry. I didn't want anything from him and he made it sound like I want half his fortune."

"_What did you expect, Bella. I know Edward! I know how his idiotic mind works. I know him so much better than anyone!"_

"And when exactly will you tell me how close the two of you were to know each other so well?" Bella asked, harshly.

Rosalie grew silent on the other line and then said, _"I'll fly to Seattle in Emmett's jet tomorrow. I need to handle some things here first and then we'll see what we're going to do."_

"I want answers, Rose. I've seen Emmett's face every time Edward is mentioned and you claim you're so familiar with him. I never asked, but I want to know, now!"

"_We'll talk about it tomorrow. Do you want me to bring Jake along__?"_

"No!" Bella all but yelled. "Don't tell him anything!"

"_Are you kidding me, Bella? You can't keep this away from Jacob."_

"You know Edward, I know Jake. He's happy with Vanessa there. He's working his dream job and he already left everything and ran to me when I needed him. I can't, _I won't_ put him through the same thing again."

"_What if things get rough? What if we actually go to court?" _Rosalie asked_. "Are you going to tell Jake you're walking Danny down the street while you're testifying, as well?"_

"I know what I'm doing, Rosalie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"_You're making a big mistake hiding this from Jake. Mark my words, Isabella. This will come back and bite you so hard."_

Bella bit her lip and exhaled a long breath. "I hope you're wrong. I'll wait for you on the airport tomorrow."

Bella ended the call and leaned back to the wall, sliding down until she sat on the ground. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Momma." She heard Danny's cry from the bedroom and jumped to her feet.

She would rest later if she had the time.

**xxXxx**

Bella placed her handbag first and then sat next to it on the bench at the nearby park. Rosalie hanged the handles of her three thousand dollar Fendi purse on the back of the bench and turned her body in Bella's direction.

She tossed her long, platinum blonde hair behind her shoulder. "Speak."

"Oh, no. You go first, Rose," Bella said, refusing to start the conversation. "First, what's with the hair change?"

Rosalie sighed and took a long sip from her frappocino. "Emmett and I have been fighting a lot lately. He barely acknowledges my presence anymore. I thought that if I lighten my hair he'd notice." Rosalie looked down at her lap and shook her head. "Well, he didn't."

Bella furrowed her eyebrows and entwined her fingers with Rosalie's. "Why haven't you told me about your problems with Em?"

"You were overly occupied with the move and your own worries. I had no intention of bothering you with mine as well."

Bella snorted. "Are you real with me now? Do we not know each other? Have we not been through enough?" Bella cupped Rosalie's chin and brought her eyes to her level. "What's going on with you and Emmett?"

"To answer this question, I have to answer the one you asked me yesterday," Rosalie said, looking to the side and watching Danny as he slid down the slide. Lucy's laughter, Ryanne had surprised Lucy with a visit the morning of Rosalie's arrival. Ryanne was five months pregnant with her first child and she wanted to babysit as a workout for when her own bundle of joy entered the world.

Bella followed Rosalie's eyes and saw Danny waving excitedly at them. They both waves him back, before Bella turned her attention back at Rosalie.

Ever since they first met more than three years ago, Bella never saw Rosalie look anything other than perfect. They had seen each other in the early hours of the morning and Rosalie had still looked amazing, even just rolled out of bed. Bella never saw her friend look so … defeated as she did in this moment.

Rose's hair was untamed; the usual wavy, volumed locks were nowhere to be seen, leaving her hair straight as a stick. Her green eyes were lacking their usual shine. Her lids were puffy and the dark circles underneath them spoke loudly to Bella that this was not a simple argument between Rosalie and Emmett.

It was a lot more than this.

"Okay," Bella began. "What's the history between you and Edward?"

Rosalie cupped her face, shielding herself from Bella. She rested her elbows on her thighs, her hair hiding her from the look on her friend's face.

"My parents and I moved to Chicago after my junior year of high-school. I was so pissed. I was one of those wannabe's in high-school, you know; the head cheerleader and student council president. I worked my ass out to be this girl and since my freshman year, I was this girl back in New York.

"When my father got promoted we moved to Chicago. All I thought about was how they've ruined my life. Back in New York I dated my one and only boyfriend, Royce King. He was your typical jog, and our relationship was more understanding, than love. Surely, we liked each other a lot, but we weren't in love.

"Royce was nice, best friend material. When I told him I was moving, he broke it off with me, telling me our relationship was not strong enough for the long distance crap. I understood him. I tried to blame him, but I couldn't. He was right.

"My first day in Chicago was a mess. The school year had already started by the time I started school. On my first day I walked through the entrance like I owned the place. I guess I forgot that my title and popularity stayed in New York.

"I was stuffed in a locker two classes later." Rosalie chuckled darkly. "Me, Rosalie Lillian Hale!"

"I don't understand, Rose. What does all this have to do with Edward?" Bella asked.

"One freshman girl took pity of me and unlocked me. I ran to the bathrooms and I started crying. In my haze to hide, I didn't even know I got the male's bathroom. Edward was there, this was the first time I met him."

"You went to the same high-school as Edward!" Bella said in a high voice.

Rosalie lifted her head from her hands and glared at her. "Keep quiet, or I'm shutting up."

Bella excused herself and listened to Rosalie. "He asked me what was wrong." Rosalie laughed. "Edward. Yes, I understand how stupid this sounds, but he asked me if I was okay.

"I told him about the locked stuff and about my crappy life. When I go back and think about it, I can't believe how shallow I was.

"Edward helped me up from the ground and made me tell him who fucked with me. I didn't know names, but I remembered their faces. Edward all but dragged me out of the bathroom. We spend the last period on the parking lot, sitting on the hood of his car, waiting for the assholes to walk outside. When they did, I told Edward who they were.

"Edward jumped from the hood and punched only one of them. He stumbled backwards and Edward started yelling at him. I don't remember what he said, but I remember clear as day that he told them not to mess with 'his girl.'"

Bella's eyes narrowed and uneasy feeling went to the pit of her stomach. She couldn't believe she was jealous of Rosalie, having such moment with Edward.

"Edward drove me home after that. I thanked him and I thought he was the coolest guy ever, you know. Prince Charming. Well, he turned into the fucker you know him as soon as the car stopped. He unbuttoned his jeans and took his dick out. He told me it was gratitude time."

"What?" Bella screeched. "He seriously did that?"

"Did you think he turned into an asshole when he went to college? He was born this way, Bella. Don't live in a fairytale thinking there's something good in Edward. There isn't anything!"

Bella stayed quiet, urging Rosalie to continue. "I blowed him. I was stupid back then. Things progressed after that and I don't mean that they progressed with weeks of time. As soon as he came in my mouth I was on the back seat and he was having his way with me."

Rosalie raised her hand, trying to stop Bella from speaking. "Please. I have to tell you this.

"I guess I was Edward's arm candy. We were 'together' during our entire senior year. He told me constantly that he loved me, he fucked me as much as he wanted, wherever he wanted. I thought it was love, you know.

"Edward wasn't specifically a jerk to me, he was indifferent. He held my hand and made out with me and didn't ignore me, but he didn't ignore others as well, if you know what I mean."

"He cheated on you?" Bella asked.

Rosalie nodded. "I caught him on our Graduation."

"I met Emmett when I went to Harvard. I fell in love with him the second I saw him, Bella, I swear to you. He was so amazing! You know how we started dating, so I won't repeat this story to you.

"One weekend I saw Edward in Harvard. I remember yelling at him for cheating on me when he showed up on the doorstep of my dorm room. My roommate was gone for the weekend, so I was on my own.

"You know him, Bella. You know his tricks. I fell for them and he was fucking me minutes after he walked into the room."

"Rosalie!" Bella yelled. She didn't care if all of the attention was on them. "You cheated on Emmett?" Bella spoke the last part a lot quieter.

"Emmett walked in on us, while Edward was spilling his cum all over my face. No need to tell you what happened after that. Emmett beat Edward up so badly, I had to call for an ambulance. Emmett didn't spoke to me for weeks after that. I knew from mutual friends that he wasn't seeing anyone and by this I mean anyone. He only stayed in his room and brooded all day long.

"It took a while, but we got back together. I guess you know now why Emmett despises Edward so much."

"Oh, my God! That's awful, Rose, but I still can't understand how is all this damaging your relationship with Emmett now, years later?"

Rosalie sighed. "The day Danny was born, I went to see Edward."

Bells shot up from the bench and hovered over Rosalie. "What did you just say?" she hissed.

"I didn't tell him about Danny, but that was the reason I went to see him."

Rosalie raised her head to look Bella in the eyes. A stinging sensation in her left cheek made her touch the tender skin there. Bella grabbed her jaw and made Rosalie look into her eyes. Rosalie kept her eyes trained at the ground, though. She avoided looking at Bella.

"If you don't want another slap, better tell me what the hell happened."

"I cheated on Emmett again that night."

"You're unbelievable!" Bella yelled. "You have the best man you could ask for and what you do? You cheat on him, _twice_, with the vilest person on the planet?"

"I felt terrible in the morning and I just ran the fuck away from there. I never told anyone, and I thought I could bring this to the grave with me, but apparently that's not the case. I think Emmett found out somehow and now treats me the way he does, waiting for me to confess."

Bella scoffed. "You feel terrible? Think about the amazing man whose heart you keep breaking." Bella grabbed her handbag from the bench and asked Ryanne to bring Danny to her. "You're more than free to go back to Cambridge. I'll find another lawyer."

"Bella," Rosalie cried. "You're my best friend."

"I love you, Rose, but what you could never understand is how much I love Emmett. I never thought that there could come time in which I have to choose between the two of you.

"You have to make things right. However, know this. I have Emmett's back and I won't let him down."

Ryanne came to the bench with Danny and waited for Bella to finish her conversation. Bella grabbed Danny from the ground and hugged him, walking away with Ryanne and her son.

**xxXxx**

A week passed since Bella last spoke to Edward. She almost calmed herself down, thinking he was only making threats. Danny was adapting very well and wanted to play with Lucy's grandchildren and the kids she babysat more and more.

She made an appointment for face-to-face interview with Global Rights after she yelled at Jacob for applying for the job without telling her.

"Did you have any idea at all, how surprised I was?" Bella screeched.

Jacob laughed on the line. _"Baby, you applied for jobs so beneath you, I couldn't watch that. I asked a colleague of mine if he knew a job in Seattle where you can work your specialty and he told me about this one. Apparently he knew your soon-to-be-boss' son."_

"Still, you should've told me."

"_Oh, just ease your worries a little bit, Bella. Go to the interview and rock them up. Maybe Peter will be there. __Steve told me he was a catch."_

"Who's Steve and who's Peter?" Bella asked, rolling her eyes.

"_Steve Parker is my colleague and Peter Summers is his friend and son of the CFO of Global Rights."_

"You're sick, Jake. You really need to stop being my pimp."

"_Bella, you need to get laid. Just go somewhere and get fucked."_

Bella sighed. "I'll think about it."

"_You won't do it, though."_

"Goodbye, Jacob."

Bella was washing the dishes when she heard a knock on the door. She dried her hands in the towel nearby and stopped the water from running.

Still drying her hands, she walked to the door and opened it. Standing there in all her glory was Rosalie Hale. Her expensive black suit made her body look even more curvy than usual. Her hair was curled up and her make-up could put a Picasso's painting to shame.

Rosalie moved past Bella and entered the living room.

"You may dislike me, right now, but I'm not giving up on you or the little guy. If needed, I'll stand up for you in court and I won't back down until I make sure that Danny stays with you."

Bella stood quiet, listening to Rose. "I don't think Edward would do something. I think he expects your move. He's prepared, I can assure of this. He likes to play safe, but I don't think he'll make the first step."

Tears slid down Bella's cheeks and a quiet sob escaped her body. This was exactly what she was afraid of. She hoped Edward wouldn't do anything. She hoped that he would forget all about her and Danny, but Rosalie just confirmed her fears. He was prepared.

"I'm scared, Rose."

"You shouldn't be! Bella, you're a terrific mother. No one in their right mind will give sole custody to Edward."

A knock on the door caused the two women to jump in surprise. Bella motioned to Rosalie to open the door, since she was in no condition of answering.

"Fuck," Rose mumbled.

"What?" Bella asked, concerned.

"You've been served. We have to be in court for the pre-hearing in a week."

"What?" Bella yelped. She ran to Rosalie's side and read the letter. "What does that mean?"

Rosalie's eyes were reading every sentence of the subpoena. The demand was not only for court presence, but also for DNA test appointed for the day after tomorrow. It made sense, as she said before, Edward liked to play safe.

A trial as such would bring a lot of attention to them, since Edward was considered important. Not every day you see a multi billionaire suing for custody.

Rosalie's mouth fell open, and her eyes narrowed when she read the name of the lawyer, sending the subpoena.

"Motherfucker," she hissed.

"What?" Bella asked, though tears.

"His lawyer is my first cousin."

"Is that bad?"

"It's worse than if it was a stranger, because Jasper and Edward both know my week spots, but I don't think it's something you should worry about. This works both ways. It's bad for us, but it's also good. I know Jasper's tricks. He plays dirty, but I'm dirtier."

"Edward wants a DNA test?" Bella asked.

Rosalie laughed. "Of course he would. Bella, come on. It's Edward."

"I forgot how _good_ you know him," Bella spat.

Rosalie grabbed Bella's wrist. "This isn't about our problems. This is about keeping Danny as far away from Edward as possible. I'm your best choice, Bella. Don't push me away!"

The room got quiet after that. Rosalie was anxiously waiting for a respond and Bella was thinking about her choices.

After what felt like a lifetime, Bella spoke, "Let's do this."


	10. And Then She Faced Him

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A passionate night three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __She __Faced Him_

The smell of hospital room irritated Danny's nose. His wide, green eyes traveled around the waiting room, taking everything in. He saw another child, the same age as him or close, cuddled into his mother's arms as she tried to wipe his runny nose. Danny saw the pink scrubs of the nurse as she walked into the waiting room and called for the next patient.

Even though he was sitting in between Rosalie and Bella, he still felt insecure. He moved inch by inch, closer and closer to his mother, trying to get as near her as physically possible.

"You okay, baby?" Bella asked him, running her fingers through his hair.

"Awe they gonna poke me again?" Danny asked, sticking his bottom lip out. His eyes were wide, holding so many questions; Bella couldn't answer.

Not yet, at least.

Bella sighed and lifted her son, placing him to sit on her lap. Danny tensed as the triage nurse walked into the waiting room again and called for the next patient.

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked, cupping his cheek and lowering her head to look into his eyes.

"Awe they gonna poke me, wike they did when I go with uncwe Dake?" Danny asked, his eyes swimming with tears.

Bella sighed deeply and pressed his head to her chest. "We're not vaccinating you, Danny, but I don't know if they'll … umm … poke you. I'll ask and see if it's possible not to."

"I don't want to, Momma."

"Hey, little one," Rosalie interrupted. "You're a big guy, now, aren't you? Who's afraid of the small needle?"

"Momma."

Bella blushed and looked everywhere but at Rosalie.

"Seriously?" Rosalie nagged. "You're afraid of injections?"

"Oh, leave me alone. You know I have panic fear of hospitals. I'm his mother, of course he's going to take that quality from me," Bella snarled.

"Oh, boy." Rosalie laughed and crossed her legs, sitting more relaxing into the uncomfortable chairs in the clinic.

It's been a week since Bella last saw Edward, but to her disappointment it was not the last she'd heard from him. In fact she had heard from him quite a lot this week.

Rosalie threw herself headfirst into the case. She had spoken to people from her office and had arranged for another lawyer to fly down to Seattle and help her. Rosalie had interacted with Jasper over the phone almost every day of the past seven, discussing Edward's demands and Bella's willingness over the matter.

Surprisingly for her though, Jasper was more than professional during the exchanges. He never made one snarky comment, or told her to just quit now, since he was going to win.

When they had spoken on the phone two days before, Jasper gave her the address to the clinic in which the DNA test was going to take place. Edward had been adamant about this specific clinic, which placed Rosalie on edge. She knew Edward's power and influence spread all over Seattle, so she made sure to give the clinic a thorough examination before the test.

Bella had been going crazy ever since the day of Edward's departure from her apartment. She had to reschedule the job interview for another day, since the DNA test had to happen today.

She was unable to cover the dark circles under her eyes with foundation or concealer. The lack of sleep she was getting was making it hard on her to deal with her daily schedule.

Even though she never admitted it to anyone, Edward was not the only source for her worries. Trusting Rosalie had been a huge deal for her, especially after Rosalie's confession.

The day after Bella got served, she contacted a law firm. After making an appointment with one of the attorneys, Bella met the man for brunch the next day.

She overflowed him with questions, which he answered as best as possible. Paul Brennan was in his mid-forties and from his recommendations Bella gathered he was one of the best in Port Angeles.

Mr. Brennan was fine looking man, appearing younger than his years. His smooth-shaven face, though, revealed the wrinkles around the corners of his mouth as he spoke. Bella questioned Rosalie's involvement in the case, having in mind her history with the suitor and his attorney.

Paul, as he demanded to be called, tried to ease her worries as best as he could. He implied that Edward was a well known man and he often played dirty.

Meeting Paul Brennan didn't ease Bella's tension. On the contrary, it made more question surface. She was well aware that her case would not be like any other custody one. Usually, the child was given to the mother, and having their situation and Edward's lack of involvement in Danny's childhood, it would've been easier for her to win.

The bad thing was that Edward knew people. She couldn't know how much of the trial would actually be legitimate, and how much Edward's money would, undoubtedly, buy the jury's votes.

Bella felt Danny's small fingers playing with hers. He lifted her hand, palm up and ran his fingertip over Bella's nails.

"I wike the picwuwe, Momma."

Bella chuckled. "It's not a picture, baby. It's nail polish and thank you." She kissed his head and wiggled her fingers, making Danny giggle.

"What is it?" Danny asked, inspecting her nails again.

"Sunset. That's why the sky is red." Bella looked at her fingernails and pointed with the other hand. "This is the sun, and this is the palm."

"It's pwetty," Danny said, looking at her.

"You're far prettier than it is."

The electric doors opened, just as Jasper neared them. Right behind him was Edward. His eyes were trained on Danny, his gaze never moving from the little kid's frame.

Bella tightened her hold on him and tucked his head under her chin, making him face the other side.

Rosalie stood up abruptly as soon as she saw their company had arrived. She straightened her clothes and avoided looking at Edward as she took a few steps in her cousin's direction.

"Mr. Hale," she said, offering her hand for him to shake.

Jasper raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Ms. Hale." He took her hand in his and shook his slightly. "I believe you remember my client, Edward Cullen."

Edward's eyes finally left Danny as he snapped his green irises at Rosalie. He quickly looked at her up and down, devious smirk spreading on his lips.

"Rosalie, it's nice to see you again. It's been a while since I've seen you…" he said. He leaned down until his lips were right next to her ear and whispered. "…clothed."

Rosalie sucked in a deep breath and her lips turned into a flat line. She gritted her teeth together and glared at Edward.

"I'm sorry I can't return the statement."

Edward chuckled and winked at her, before looked back at Bella. Her eyes were hard on him and he barely thought that if the look could kill, he'd be six feet underground by now.

He took a step forward, and then another. He came closer to her, but not close enough. Bella never left his gaze as she shifted Danny off her lap and whispered in his ear to stay where he was and play with his stuffed bear.

Bella stood tall; her feet were placed in three-inch heels, making her look taller than her five foot three frame. The striped pants she wore added to the delusion of longer, slender legs.

She pushed her straightened hair behind her shoulder and placed her hands on her hips, sliding her forefingers in the little pockets of the tight fitted vest she wore on top of a white, mid-sleeved shirt.

Her posture never moved, not even when Edward took a step further. Both of them looked at each other standing at arms' length. Bella arched her eyebrow, silently telling Edward to take another step forward. He remained still, taking her in. For the first time since he'd known her, she stood up to him.

For the first time since he'd known her, she was ready for attack if needed.

She stood before Danny, guarding him from Edward. Edward knew that if he took another step forward, she'd take one as well.

He glared at her, but didn't approach. He turned around and left the waiting room with fast, angry steps.

The corners of Bella's lips lifted upward, watching Edward. She sat back on the chair next to Danny and gave him her hand, leaving him to play with her fingernails.

**xxXxx**

"What's going on between you and Rose?" Vanessa asked, gripping Emmett's arm tighter.

"What's going on between me and Rose?" he repeated, taking a sip from his hot, black coffee.

"Well," Vanessa started, gripping the collar of her trench coat tighter and cursing herself for forgetting her scarf in the freezing cold outside, "You two seem distant from each other."

"That's not true. She flew to Seattle just a few days ago to help Bella with something. Otherwise we're fine."

Vanessa lifted her eyebrows and stole Emmett's coffee from him, taking a sip before giving it back.

"I know when two people are detached from each other, Mr. McCarty. I work in a matchmaking agency."

Emmett snorted. "You work in an auto body shop as a mechanic."

Vanessa giggled. "Same thing, different job name. Do you know how many people I've set up together? I'm like the hotter version of Cupid."

Emmett stopped walking and stood in front of Nessie. He looked down to her five foot frame and studied the bronze curls of her hair.

"How long did it take you to curl your hair like that?" Emmett questioned.

"I haven't, my hair is usually curly. I straighten it. It's all from my father's side; hair and eyes." She battled her long eyelashes bringing attention to her jade eyes. "Now stop trying to change the subject."

"Your father is ginger?" Emmett questioned with a smirk.

"He has an identical twin. My uncle is also _bronze haired_."

Emmett laughed and sighed. "There's a reason I took you out to grab coffee. I need your help."

Vanessa puckered her lips and nodded. "What do you need me for, big guy?"

"I'm thinking of proposing to Rosalie. I've been wondering how to do it, hence the distance I took from Rose. I wanted to be special and I'm going crazy here."

Vanessa squealed and threw her arms around Emmett. "I'm so happy for you. I thought that the worst had happened and you were going to break up."

"Nah," Emmett said, patting her back. "I don't think there's a force on Earth that could separate us."

"I feel so flattered, even though I'm sure that Bella would be in my place if she was still here. I really miss her, you know?"

"We all do, Buttercup. I've been thinking about flying to Seattle in a few days, why don't you and Jake come with me?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know. I'll ask him and I'll get back to you." Vanessa linked her arm with Emmett's again and asked, "Do you have a ring yet?"

"No, that's kind of what I needed your help with."

The scream of happiness that followed turned a lot of heads on the street in their direction.

**xxXxx**

"Why are you doing this, Jasper?" Rosalie asked.

Jasper answered without removing his gaze from his BlackBerry, "Doing what?"

"Helping Edward. Bella is the best mother someone could ask for. She doesn't want anything from Edward. I have no idea why he's doing this, but I don't know what's happening in that sick mind of his. You, on the other hand," Rosalie motioned with her hand in Jasper's direction. "I have no idea."

"Edward is my friend and he pays well."

"Don't you even care what would happen if Edward gets Danny?"

Jasper looked at Rosalie. "Are you doubting yourself this much? Damn, I hoped for an interesting trial. You're not giving me too much to work with."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and grabbed Jasper's hand. "You're better than this, Jazz. Come on. You grew up in a loving family. Imagine what it would be like if someone took you away from your mother?"

Jasper patted Rosalie on the head and stood up. "You really suck at this, Rose. Your father spent so much money on your education and you just suck."

Edward strode into the waiting room again, running his fingers through his hair. He stopped his step when Rosalie stood right in front of him.

"I won't fuck you now, Rosalie. Conflict of interests," he said dismissively, moving past her.

She grabbed his elbow in a death grip and hissed, "I don't know what you said and to who you said it to, but Emmett and I won't break up."

Edward looked at her with stern face. "Do I need to call a doctor for you? Did you suddenly develop chronic idiocy? What the fuck has your Neanderthal to do with anything?"

"I don't know what you told him about the night of graduation—"

Edward freed himself from Rosalie's hold and gripped her upper arm tightly. "Don't ever speak about that night again, Rosalie. I'm fucking warning you."

He pushed her away from him and strode down the hallway, stopping next to Jasper in the waiting room area.

"Mr. Cullen and Ms. Swan," the triage nurse called. Bella and Edward both looked at her at the same time. "Please come with me."

Edward walked to the room the nurse pointed to first and waited for Bella to start walking. He stopped at the doorframe and turned around to watch her.

Bella stood up from the chair and straightened her clothes, taking her purse in one hand and offering the other one to Danny. He shook his head and crossed his arms in front of him, refusing to stand up.

"Come on, little guy. It'll be over soon and Momma will buy you a hot chocolate. You love hot chocolate, right?"

Danny shook his head again and cuddled into the chair. Bella's heart broke as she looked at his scared expression.

"Baby, I'll never let anything happen to you, you know that right? Let's finish the work we have here, and then we'll go to Lucy and you'll play with your friends."

"I don wanna poke me, Momma," Danny said and looked at Bella, his eyes swimming with tears.

"Oh, baby." Bella kneeled down in front of him and hugged him close. She fought her own tears as she heard Danny sob. "I said I'd ask the doctor if it would be okay not to poke you, remember? Come on, sweetie."

Bella handed her purse to Rosalie and lifted Danny from the chair. He locked his legs around her waist and buried his head in the crook of her neck.

The three of them walked to the door where Edward was still waiting. Bella glared at him. He glared back and stormed into the room, sitting on one of the two chairs in the blood donation room.

The room was white, with different posters hanging from the walls. A man in white scrubs sat on the other side of a cherry wood desk with two creamy colored chairs in front. In the corner of the room was a creamy colored blood donation chair.

Bella kissed Danny on the head and gave him to Rosalie. "I just want to ask something and then I'll take him again."

Bella walked into the room and closed the door behind her. She fought the urge to stay where she was, as far away from Edward as possible, as she walked toward the cherry wood desk and sat down on the chair next to Edward.

"The kid has to be here for this, don't you think?" Edward retorted, without looking at her.

"His name is Daniel, stop talking to him so informally," Bella snapped.

The doctor's eyes widened and he cleared his throat. "My name is Doctor Eli Rodriguez," he said in deep Mexican accent. "I understand you're here for a DNA test?"

"That is correct," Bella said. "I wanted to ask you what possibilities we have with this procedure."

Edward snapped his eyes to hers. "Blood sample. They take mine, they take the kid's and they take yours."

"Mine?" Bella spat. "Why in the Lord's name mine?"

Edward shrugged. "Because I goddamn feel like it. I want to know for sure if you're the kid's mother."

Bella clenched her fists. "For the last time, his name is Daniel."

"I don't give a fuck. Let's just get this over with!" he snapped.

"If you don't give a fuck, why the hell are we here? Move on with your life and let us live ours!"

"Excuse me," Dr. Rodriguez interrupted. "You wanted to know what other ways there are instead of blood comparison."

Bella nodded, but Edward didn't let her speak. "I want blood samples!"

Bella waved him off. "Is there any other way? Hair or saliva?" she asked the doctor.

Edward slammed his hands on the desk and glared at her. "Why the fuck do you ask? I want blood samples and I want that blood drawn of this kid's arm _in front of me_."

Bella stood up, slamming her own fists into the desk. "My son is _petrified _of needles. That's why I'm asking. I'm a mother and my son's best interest is my top priority. I will not allow him to be stuck with needles if there's any other way!"

Without realizing it, they were standing toe-to-toe, shooting daggers at each other.

"Okay," Dr. Rodriguez said, standing up from his chair. "Ms. Swan, I'm sorry to inform you, but sadly our clinic is not equipped to perform any other DNA procedure except by blood comparison. I'm sorry."

Bella snapped her eyes from Edward's and nodded to the doctor. "Take mine first. I want to be able to hold Danny as you take his."

Bella pushed her sleeve away and sat down on the chair. She placed her hand palm up on the hand rest, watching as Dr. Rodriguez took a tourniquet and tightened it around Bella's arm. He gave her a stress ball and instructed her to squeeze it a few times.

The doctor touched her vain and when he was satisfied, he grabbed a needle and a vacutainer. He wrote her name on the sticky paper before gluing it to the tube of the vacutainer.

Bella turned her head to the side and squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the needle pierce through her skin. It wasn't painful, but the thought of the procedure was making things harder.

"All done." Dr. Rodriguez gave her a gauze with disinfectant and rubbed it over the place he had just pierced. "Press this until the blood stops and then I'll give you a cotton wad."

Bella nodded and stood up from the chair, swaying a little in Edward's direction. On instinct, his hands tried to support her, but she jerked away from him.

"Don't touch me," she hissed.

"I wouldn't do it with a ten feet pole. I was making sure you wouldn't collapse on me."

Bella rolled her eyes and walked to the door, opening it and taking Danny's hand. The little guy walked cautiously into the room, holding Bella like a life preserver.

Bella knelt down next to him and showed him her band-aided arm.

"Look, baby. They took a little bit of Mommy's blood."

Danny looked at her arm and gently touched the texture of the cotton wad.

"Did it huht?" he asked.

"No, it didn't hurt," she said truthfully. If she didn't have panic fear of needles, she wouldn't have even felt it.

Danny's eyes traveled to the blood donation chair's new occupant. Edward had taken his suit jacket off and had rolled his button down shirt's sleeves to the elbows. His hand was gripping the stress ball as Dr. Rodriguez pressed the needle to his vein.

Danny was fascinated with Edward's face. He stood immobile as the vacutainer filled with crimson.

Bella followed her son's eyes and she saw they way Edward was looking at him. He wasn't glaring and he wasn't shooting daggers, he simply started at him. She could see the way his irises moved all over his small body, staying on his face for the longest time.

Danny tilted his head to the side and frowned. "He want youw toys, Momma?" he asked.

Bella looked at her son and puffed her cheeks. "We'll talk about it at home, okay?" She kissed his cheek and took his hand, walking toward the donation chair, just as Edward stood up.

She sat on the creamy cushions and lifted Danny from the floor, placing him in her lap. The doctor explained to him what he was going to do and Danny got scared. Edward scoffed and left the room, walking toward the bathrooms to clear his head.

He pushed past Rosalie and Jasper who stood near the door, guarding it. He strode down the hall and entered the bathroom closing the door forcefully behind him.

He walked to the counter and placed his open palms on it, supporting himself on the counter top. He took a few deep breaths, before starting the tap and filling his palms with water, splashing it onto his face. He ran his hands roughly up and down, feeling the stubble covering his jaw.

Edward raised his eyes and met his reflection in the mirror. Drops of water were falling from chin and nose, green eyes wide and unblinking.

He stopped the water and took a few of the tissues placed on the counter, drying his hands and face before leaving the room.

He turned to walk back toward the waiting room when he heard a sniffle from behind him. Edward turned around and saw Danny, clutching his stuffed bear in one hand and wiping his eyes with the other.

Sobs racked his little body, tears running down his creamy, puffy cheeks. He looked around for Rosalie or Bella, and when he saw neither, his eyes hardened.

A nurse in pink scrubs was standing next to him, talking about something Edward couldn't hear. Danny was looking at him through teary eyes, his little first gripping the bear's paw tightly.

* * *

"_Mommy," Edward cried. "I'm scared."_

_Esme looked at the rear view mirror and shook her head._

"_What are you so scared of? We're going to the doctor, not execution. You're seven years old, grow up a little bit."_

_Her eyes looked back toward the road, as another sob escaped Edward._

_Carlisle hit the breaks and the car stopped abruptly. Esme and Edward launched forward, Edward hitting his forehead into the back of Carlisle's car seat. He started crying harder, clutching his forehead with his palm._

"_Stop fucking crying! We're supposed to take you to have your goddamn vaccines. Little shit," Carlisle yelled and started the car again._

_Esme turned her head and looked at Edward, shaking her head._

"_Thank you very much," she snapped._

* * *

Without thinking anymore, Edward walked toward Danny and stood in front of him.

"Oh, look who's here," the nurse said, brushing Danny's tears away.

Edward wondered how she knew who exactly was the "_who"_ here, but he let it slide. Danny was looking at him with wonder, but he was no longer crying.

"Where's his mother?" Edward asked.

"Danny was crying, after they had his blood taken, so I asked if he wanted to give him a tour around the hospital. He started crying almost immediately after. I guess he wanted Mommy or Daddy."

Edward took a deep breath as the word _daddy_ hung in the air.

"I'll take him to the waiting room," Edward said.

"Your son is adorable."

"He is," Edward replied. He motioned with his hand before him and urged Danny to walk. "Come on, kid."

Danny saw his open hand and, without questioning, slipped his small fist into Edward's. Edward stopped dead in his tracks as Danny's small fingers curled around his middle and forefinger. Edward's eyes were wide and his palm stayed open. He didn't know what to do.

His eyes traveled between Danny's and their connected hands for several moments, before he gulped loudly and closed his palm around Danny's.

They walked several steps until they saw the vending machine. Danny stopped and pointed toward it, not saying a word. Edward stopped with him and cocked an eyebrow.

"You want something?" he asked.

Danny nodded and pointed toward a Kinder Surprise egg, positioned on the last row of the vending machine.

Edward dig through his pockets to find coins, but he didn't find any. A teenager walked by them and Edward stopped him.

"I'll give you a hundred dollars for the cents you have in your pocket."

"You serious?" the boy asked.

Edward glared at him. "Do I look like a comedian to you?" He dug through his pocket again and handed the boy the one hundred dollar bill.

"Nice," the boy exclaimed, putting his two dollars and fifty cents into Edward's open palm.

Edward put the necessary sum into the machine and took the egg as it fell down from the first row. He motioned to Danny to walk in the direction of the bench positioned next to the windows of the hallway.

Danny crawled up the bench, which Edward found amusing. He let a small chuckle escape him, as he opened the chocolate egg and gave it to Danny.

The boy took a big bite and bit off the end of the egg. The yellow plastic container on the inside of the egg fell onto his lap and Danny took it, giving it to Edward.

Edward didn't know why the kid gave him the present inside the egg and questioned him about it.

"Don't you want your present?" he asked.

Danny shook his head and bit from his egg again. "I give you my toy and you weave Momma's toy."

Edward had no idea what he said, but the sound of his voice was much more interesting than any words he may have said. Edward found himself mesmerized by the bell like sounds that left his mouth with each word.

"I wanna go to Momma," Danny said and jumped from the bench, licking his chocolate covered fingers.

Edward nodded and stood from the bench, walking with Danny to the end of the hallway. He spotted Bella, talking to Rosalie in the living room and kneeled next to Danny.

"There she is."

Danny sprinted down the hallway and hugged Bella's leg tightly. She was surprised by the movement, but smiled widely when she saw her son. She knelt next to him and asked him how he liked the hospital.

"I wiked it. You will awso have aww youw toys, Momma."

Bella furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding her son, but letting it go.

"Now, do you want your hot chocolate?" Bella asked.

Danny nodded and took her hand, looking behind his shoulder only to find the hallway empty.

**xxXxx**

"Gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy," Danny yelled.

"Oh, I'm a gummy bear, yes, I'm a gummy bear," Bella sang.

"Gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy," Danny yelled.

Bella laughed as she jumped over to her iPod and raised the volume to maximum.

_Oh I'm a gummy bear._

_Yes I'm a gummy bear._

_Oh I'm a yummy tummy funny lucky gummy bear._

_I'm a jelly bear._

_Cause I´m a gummy bear._

_Oh I'm a movin' groovin' jammin' singing gummy bear._

_Oh yea oooh._

"Oh, I'm a yummy, tummy, funny, lucky gummy bear," Bella sang, tossing her hair from side to side and jumping along with Danny around the living room.

"Gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy, gummy," Danny yelled.

Bella doubled over with laugher as Danny screamed the same thing over and over again. He was crazy about this song, but at least she thanked God it was no longer "Crazy Frog." She was ready to kill Jacob when the apartment constantly blared with the _sounds_ of that song.

Bella heard the loud knocking on the apartment door and jumped over to the iPod and stopped the music. Then she grabbed Danny in her arms and lifted him in the air, swinging him around, as if he was in an airplane.

Danny's baby laugh, triggered her own. She almost forgot about the person outside the door as she had so much fun with her son.

She hugged Danny and walked to the door.

"Who is it?" she sang, opening the door and freezing to the spot as she saw Edward on the other side. He was clutching an A4 piece of paper in his hand and breathing heavily.

Seconds seemed to pass and no one moved.

Danny tilted his hand on his side and asked, "Who's the uncwe, Momma?"

Edward stepped forward and closed the door gently behind him. He breathed deep before looking at Danny.

"I'm not your uncle," he said, lifting the A4 paper in the air. "I'm your father."

* * *

**Chapter beta'd by Project Team Beta :)**


	11. And Then He Threatened Her

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A passionate night three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __He Threatened Her_

Edward watched as Danny ran down the long clinic hallway and collided with Bella's leg. He saw the bright smile that crossed her face, as she kneeled down next to her son and kissed his cheek.

As Danny started taking, he took that as his cue to leave. He had no intention of letting Bella know about the minutes he'd spend with him.

Edward shrugged off his suit jacket and tossed it around his hand. Sighing deeply, he walked down the narrow hallway, until he reached the information desk, where his fast pace got interrupted by a nurse.

"Mr. Cullen?" she asked.

"Yes," he snapped.

The nurse swallowed, taken aback from his harshness. "Um ..." She reached into the pocket of her scrubs and pulled out a card. "This is your results number. Call tomorrow around the same time and tell the dispatcher your number. We'll send you a fax with the results."

Edward snatched the card from the nurse and glanced at it quickly, before raising it to her eye level and asking, "Is this the only card?"

"Yes, we wanted to give one to Miss Swan as well, but she left quite abruptly."

"Don't worry," Edward assured. "I'll let her know."

Before the nurse could protest and ask for a contact number with Bella, Edward was already walking away from her.

**xxXxx**

The whiskey burned down Edward's throat as he downed the liquid on one gulp. He licked his lips and turned the glass with the bottom up, setting it on the bar.

"Keep them coming," he said to the bartender, waving at him.

He downed shot after shot, drowning himself in the wonderful haze the alcohol induced. The whiskey did wonders sweeping his worries under the rug. He knew that sooner or later he would have to face everything, but for this night, he had no intention of handling anything.

"You look lonely." Edward felt a hand touch his shoulder and he turned his head toward the voice next to him.

The red dress the blonde woman wore clung to her like a second skin. She was lucky she had the body to pull this little outfit up.

Her tongue ran across her bottom lip, before she bit it seductively. Her hazel eyes were surrounded by redness and indicating by the same red color under her nose that she had just got herself in for a _busy_ night.

_Crack whore. Good as any._

"Can I buy you a drink?" Edward asked, already knowing the answer.

She chuckled. "You can buy me a lot of things you know," she whispered, leaning toward him. Her hand sliding up his thigh as she placed her lips near his ear. "Including me."

Edward dug through his pocket and tossed a hundred on the bar, standing up from the chair.

"Shall we?" He motioned with his hand forward, and waited for the girl to walk in front of him.

She threw a cautious look toward the corner of the bar and Edward unconsciously followed her eyes. She was looking at two muscular men in expensive suits, who sipped a drink, staring at Edward and his female companion.

Edward rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the small of her back, urging her to walk.

"One of them is your pimp and the other one is a … how you called it? Bodyguard. Although, I don't really see the need to guard a body as used as yours," he said, pulling his wallet out. "How much?"

"Five for the fuck, thousand for the entire night."

He pressed the bills to her open palm and waited for her to deposit them to her pimp. Anxiously, he watched her walking back to him with a seductive wink.

Edward led her outside, opening the limousine door for her and slapping her ass while she got seated. He had used his driver for the night, knowing perfectly he would be in no condition of driving. He wasn't going to risk a DUI especially since Peter had been very reluctant to helping him after the incident a week ago.

The car started to drive and the hooker climbed into Edward's lap. She tugged on his tie, loosening it and unbuttoning the top button.

"I'm Mandy, by the way."

"I don't remember asking you about your name, especially since it's not your real one. Don't waste that mouth with talking."

He pushed her down to her knees and spread his legs. _Mandy_ took a hold of his belt and opened it, leaving it through the belt hoops. She popped the button of his dress pants open and lowered down the zipper, cupping his cock through the boxers.

He tossed his head backwards, his dick hard as a rock, awaiting for some kind of release. Edward lifted his hips, allowing Mandy to push them down his thighs.

"What's that?" she asked, holding the small yellow container with Danny's Kinder Surprise toy. Edward's eyes went wide and he slapped the toy away from her hand.

"Don't fucking touch that!" he hissed.

"Is it coke? Maybe we can do a few lines before we get down to business."

"In case your stupid brain hadn't acknowledged that, you are down to business. Technically, you _were_. Marcus stop the car!"

His driver pulled the limousine next to the sidewalk. Edward opened the door and grabbed the whore's shoulder, pushing her out of the car.

"What the fuck!" she yelled, as the door closed in her face and the car sped away.

…

Edward walked toward his balcony, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He leaned his elbows on the glass railing and sipped his drink.

The Seattle lights were shinning and blinking. He loved the overlook of the city he had from his penthouse. He could see the cars driving down Seattle Boulevard, the casino lights alluring a lost gambler to play away his money.

Another sip and his glass was halfway empty.

With another look, he walked back inside, clutching the yellow box in his hand.

**xxXxx**

Bella's eyes went wide as she started at Edward's seething face. One though ran through her mind like a chant.

_Get Danny away from him._

"Danny, baby, go to the room." Bella lowered him to the ground, her eyes glued to Edward's. She heard the ripping of the paper Edward was clutching as his fist tightened around it.

"Momma, what's father?" Danny asked, his eyes swimming with tears.

Bella's heart broke. "Momma will tell you later, okay. Go play."

She watched as Danny ran down the hallway and pushed the door behind him.

Before she could turn and look at Edward he had her pressed against the door, spitting venom in her face.

"Fucking bitch! You should've told me!"

"Why?" she hissed. "You treated me like shit. You used me in the worst of way. I don't own you anything!"

His green eyes shoot daggers at her. "We should've taken care of it."

Her mouth fell open and her teeth curled back into a sneer. She pounded her fists into his chest, pushing him away from her.

"Damn fucker. Don't ever say that again!" She continued her assault on him, the thought of aborting Danny making her crazy with rage.

He grabbed her wrists, to stop her, but she jerked off his touch.

"You sick bastard." Bella swung her arm and aimed it toward his face, but his reflexes stopped her. He grabbed her wrist tightly and twisted it to the side, earning a hiss from Bella.

"You're just a lying whore. What happened to Jacob Black, huh? Interesting how your supposed engagement ended by the time you no longer needed his insurance."

Bella's face paled, but she tried to remain as calm as possible. Edward was studying her face carefully, waiting for the smallest flinch, or some indication that she's lying.

She gulped loudly and mumbled, "Things just didn't work out. We decided we were better off as friends."

Edward gripped her wrist even tighter than before. Her hand had turned into an unusual shade of red from the stopped blood flow.

"I can end you," he hissed. "I will end you."

"I'm not scared of you," she spat, trying to free her hand from his painful hold.

"You should be. This is just the beginning."

**xxXxx**

"Good evening, Miss."

Rosalie raised her eyes and smiled sweetly at the doorman.

"Thank you," Rosalie furrowed her eyebrows and looked at his nametag. "Frank. Have a good evening as well."

She walked through the automatic doors and smiled at the information clerk. Her heels clicked on the wooden floor as she made her way to the elevators.

As the doors opened on her floor, she opened her bad and tried to locate her key card.

"Fucking shit. I can't find anything here."

She felt strong arms, surrounding her from behind and yelped in surprise, trying to turn around. Moist lips connected with her neck, sending electrical waves all over her body.

"What are you doing here?" she breathed.

Emmett chuckled and span her around. His hands travelled down her sides, until they reached her butt. He squeezed her ass cheeks in his big palms and kissed the side of her mouth.

"What? I can't fly to Seattle to see you?" His placed butterfly kisses along her cheeks, her jaw, down the line of her neck. His mouth closed around her earlobe, his teeth grazing the skin and clicking when connected with her earring.

Her breathing became labored, as she placed her hands on his arms. They hadn't been intimate for quite some time, and every touch was sacred to her.

"Emmett," she breathed.

"What baby?" He squeezed her cheeks roughly, before sliding his hand in the juncture between her legs from behind. He could feel the warmth radiating from her.

"Take me." She pressed her forehead to his shoulder and breathed in his scent.

_Just wait until I put that ring on your finger._

The ten carat, crystal clear diamond ring in his pocket was burning a hole his leg. After he and Vanessa spend the whole day searching, they found the perfect ring.

A ten carat diamond was nicely nestled in between platinum ring setting. The ring's band was covered in small diamonds, and the top, where the diamond was placed, the ring opened in the form of a rose.

"I'll take you," he breathed, his lips inches from hers. "I'll take you hard and fast … inside."

Emmett's hands slid down the back of Rosalie's thighs and lifted her from the ground. He supported her weight on his elbows as she locked her ankles on the small of his back. He kissed her lips hard, walking backwards and pressing her back against the door wall. Rosalie spilled the contest of her purse on the ground, catching the key card for her hotel room in mid air.

Emmett grabbed the key from her and opened the door without breaking the kiss. He walked inside with Rosalie and waited for her to kick the door closed.

As soon as they were closed inside, Emmett let Rosalie back on the floor and she grabbed his hand, pulling him in the direction of the bedroom.

She shrugged off her trench coat and tossed her shirt somewhere in the room almost immediately. Emmett grabbed a fistful of his shirt on the back and ripped it off his body for seconds.

Rosalie found herself pressed on the mattress with Emmett on top if her. She wiggled her legs, felling her shoes fall from her feet. Her khakis slid down her athletic, slim legs as Emmett discarded them.

Her undergarments left her body, just as Emmett tossed his boxers aside.

He crawled back on top of her, kissing her lips. Her mouth opened without him asking her to. Rosalie's fingers ran through his hair, until they settled on his shoulders.

Emmett took a hold of his dick and stroked it several times, before he ran the head up and down Rosalie's clit.

Her eyes snapped shut as unwanted memories flew her conscious.

_Edward's hands securing her wrists with one hand, as he stroked her clit with __the head of his cock. The way he thrust inside of her powerfully, rocked her entire body. His hands, dug into the flesh of her ass cheeks, his finger finding his way in between them and stroking her anus, before a single finger entered._

She was crying before she knew it.

"Rose?" Emmett asked, concerned. "What's going on, baby? Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Rosalie could feel him inside of her, but for the life of her, she could remember how he entered. She hated herself. She couldn't look at him, without feeling shame, without her subconscious screaming at her.

_Tell him._

"Rosalie, you're scaring me. What's going on?" Emmett asked, sliding out of her. He took her by the shoulders and lifted her up, encircling her body with his arms.

"You know," she sobbed.

"I know what?" Emmett asked, confused.

"You know," she cried again, her body shaking. "Why do you torture me?"

Emmett cupped her face and brought it inches away from him.

"I have no idea—"

"You know I slept with Edward on Graduation. Why are you torturing me and being so sweet?"

Emmett's face turned blank and he dropped his hands from Rosalie immediately. The amount of pain he felt couldn't be described. He tried to remember the burn of betrayal rushing through his system, he tried to remember every beat of his heart being painful, but he couldn't.

He couldn't remember feeling like this when he walked in on the porn scene between Rosalie and Edward either.

She cheated on him. _Again._ She chose Edward over him _again_.

Suddenly he felt the need to throw up.

And throw the stupid engagement ring in a trash can.

**xxXxx**

Bella locked the door behind her and shrugged off her hoodie. Hanging it to the hanger, she walked in the direction of the kitchen to grab herself a beer. She never took the liberty to drink with Danny in the house, but since he was spending the night at Lucy's, she decided to treat herself after the day she had.

She kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the couch, resting her back on the hand rest. She took a long sip from her beer and sighed as the liquid slid down her throat.

Edward's declaration confused Danny. They haven't spoken on the "fathers' topic", and Edward's reveal brought too many questions she couldn't answer.

Taking a deep breath, she brought the bottle back to her lips, when she heard a knock on the door. Her eyes flicked to the wall clock, reading it was after eleven in the evening.

Bella place her beer bottle on the table and slowly walked to the door. The knocking didn't subdued, which placed her on the edge. She hated the thought of another visit from Edward at this hour.

Raising herself on her tip-toes she looked though the peephole and raised her eyebrows in excitement. Opening the door open widely, she jumped right into her friend's arms.

"What are you doing here, Emmett?" Bella squealed. Emmett's arms encircled her in a bone-crushing hug, as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Can I," Emmett said with shuddered breath. "Can I stay the night?"

Bella backed away from his embrace and looked at him. His eyes were red and watery and the tip of his nose was red.

"Oh, Em!" Bella grabbed his hand and walked into the apartment with him, closing the door behind them.

She ran quickly to the kitchen to grab another beer. She knew exactly what made Emmett the way he was, and she knew he would be needing something much stronger, but she didn't keep any strong alcohol around the house because of Danny.

"Here," Bella said, giving Emmett the bottle and urging him in the direction of the couch.

"She cheated on me, again! She fucked him, _again_, B. What the fuck!" he yelled.

"I'm sorry, Emmett. I'm so, so sorry." Bella reached for his hand and took it in hers.

Emmett gripped the bottle tightly, so tightly it made his knuckles white.

"I'll fucking kill him! This time, I'll kill him."

"Please, Em," Bella beseeched. "You should relax."

Emmett shook his head and stood up. He paced around the living room, running his fingers through his hair.

"I was going to propose to her today! I wanted her to be my goddamned wife, Bella."

Bella jumped from the couch and wrapped her arms around Emmett again. No matter how much bigger he was in comparison to her, he felt extremely small. The relief and sense of protection this hundred pounds girl gave him was unmatched.

He squashed Bella to his chest and gritted his teeth, hating Rosalie in this moment. He wondered what he couldn't give her, what Edward Cullen had that he didn't.

"Shh … Emmett, I'm here. It's okay."

Slowly, his breathing went back to normal, but he still kept his arms around Bella. Gently stroking her cheek, Bella raised her head from his sculptured chest and looked at him. His hand slid down and cupped her neck. He shook his head slightly and leaned down, bringing his lips to hers in a butterfly kiss.

Not having a respond, but not being pushed away either, he applied more pressure, kissing her. He moved his lips on top of hers, but Bella pushed his him away slightly by the shoulders.

"Emmett, it's not right." She licked her lips and starred at his deep ocean blue eyes.

"Nothing's right, Bella. Everything and everyone is wrong and I'm so fucking sick of being the only one right."

When he kissed her again this time, there were no protests from her. She opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue with hers, dancing around their mouths.

Supporting her lower back, he walked back until they reached the couch. He took his shirt off and lied down on top of her, sliding his hand along her thigh, until he reached her mouth again.


	12. And Then She Told Danny

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A passionate night three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __She Told Danny_

Emmett's lips pressed to the tender skin of her neck and she had to bite back the moan that threatened to escape. Emmett McCarty was a beautiful man, both inside and out, but she wasn't even remotely attracted to him this way.

Bella was aware she had to stop him soon, but not yet. He had been rejected by the worst of ways only hours before, she didn't want to be the one to push him away as well.

Was she doing the right thing? She didn't know, but she knew estranging him would hurt him too badly.

His lips were hot and Bella's body registered the man's touch. Her skin heated and the hairs on her back straightened as a jolt of electricity ran through her body. She gently rubbed the muscles on his back, as his lips sucked on her pulse point.

As she felt his cock rubbing in between her legs, she knew it was time to stop.

"Emmett," she breathed. "We shouldn't do this."

"Why not?" His words didn't stop his actions. His mouth trailed open mouthed kisses down her neckline, as his hands tried to lift her shirt and expose her stomach.

"Because you're just mad at Rosalie and our friendship means more to me than that."

He sighed and sat up, tugging the front of his jeans and adjusting himself. He avoided looking at Bella at all costs, too embarrassed of his actions.

Bella was not the type of girl to be used in the way he wanted to use her. She was too good to be a rebound fuck, too good to just get back at Rosalie with her.

Bella rose from the bed and sat Indian style on the couch. Her arms wrapped around Emmett's shoulders and she hugged him close to her body.

"Don't feel bad about it. Take it from the good side, we made out and saw there was nothing going on between us."

Emmett chuckled and fisted the material of her shirt, realizing he wasn't wearing one. He suddenly felt shy and exposed, a rosy blush heating his cheeks.

"I, uh …" He cleared his throat. "I should get dressed and uh … look for a hotel or something."

"Oh, no you don't," Bella said, chuckling. "You're staying here. Danny is having a sleepover and I'm alone. You'll make me company."

She touched his cheek with her hand and ran the pad of her thumb over his cheekbones. Emmett touched her hand with his own, caressing the skin until his eyes locked with the purple bruises on her wrist.

"What the fuck is this?" Emmett barked.

Bella quickly jerked her hand away from him and hid it behind her back. "Nothing."

"Don't give me that shit, Bella. Tell me who the fuck grabbed you so hard?"

Bella furrowed her eyebrows and looked down at her hand. Surely, there was a nasty looking bruise with the shape of fingers. She had been so worried after Edward's visit, she didn't even register the hematoma forming under her skin.

Emmett hit the table with his fist, knocking his beer to the floor. The dark brown bottle rolled down the parquet, leaving white foam on its path.

Bella was suddenly raised to her feet by her shoulders. Emmett lowered his hard, hateful gaze to hers and asked again, "Who _the fuck_ put that bruise on your wrist, Isabella?"

"Promise me you'll let me explain." Her eyes were begging him to understand. She knew if she told him about Edward's manhandling he would beat him up beyond recognition. All this and Rosalie's infidelity would push him over the edge. Bella had no intention of putting her friend behind bars.

"Speak!"

Bella sat down on the couch and buried her face into her hands. "I spoke to Edward when I came here."

Emmett's face snapped to hers and he growled. "Did he do this to you?"

"You promised you'd listen to me—"

"I promised no such thing. I promised to listen to you. Did this fucker do this to you, Bella? I'm running out of patience here!"

"I told him about Danny," Bella continued ignoring his question. "He freaked out. He told me I was lying and I thought that was it. Nothing more. I told him about his son and he flipped me off.

"He showed up and threatened me with law suit. He wanted sole custody of Danny, because he was freaked out I was after his money."

"He what?" Emmett yelled. "Are you serious with me now Bella? That's …" he stopped himself and stared at her. "That's why Rosalie is here. She's not visiting you is she? She's taking your case."

Bella could only nod. Her eyes smarted with unshed tears. "I got served a week ago. Yesterday we went to a clinic to have a DNA test."

Emmett shook his head, his hands curled into fists. He grabbed his shirt from the floor and quickly put it on. "What happened?" he asked.

"Edward came today … he had the results. He told Danny he was his father." Bella ignored Emmett's shocked face. "Danny had no idea what father means, and I promised to speak to him later. I send him to his room and then things got … heated between me and Edward."

Emmett jumped to his feet and stormed in the direction of the door. Bella ran to his side, trying to stop him, before he exited.

"Emmett, no!"

"I love you, Shorty, but you have to get out of my way now. I'm way too pissed and I can't be held responsible for my actions." He grabbed her by the waist and moved her away from the door, grabbing the knob and flying out of the apartment.

Emmett took his phone from his pocket and speed dialed his friend at the police department here in Seattle.

"_McCarty, what a ple—"_

"Later, Timmy. Give me the address of Edward Cullen."

"_Why?"_

"Just do it. Text it to me when you've got it."

Hanging up, Emmett ran down the stairs of Bella's apartment building. He climbed into his black Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren and sped off, just as his phone beeped indicating a new text message.

**xxXxx**

Edward was watching the fire burn before his eyes. The flames in the fireplace were dancing and the wood was cracking under the heat. He was fascinated by the way the fire moved through the valleys of the wood. Each orange spark was untamable, burning and leaving a cloud of smoke to escape the chimney.

He took another sip of his whiskey and wondered how he would walk to bed. He was so trashed, he barely kept his eyes open.

The glass fell from his hand and left a stain on the floor. The whiskey soaked the expensive white wool carpet covering the living room floor. Edward leaned his head back on the metallic colored armchair and rested his feet on the granite block in front of the fireplace.

He listened to the soft violins of The Cinematic Orchestra's _Arrival Of The Birds_ and moved the fingers of his right hand in synchrony with the piano playing in the background. He hadn't sat on a piano bench in years and had almost forgotten how much the soft music was calming him down.

He rolled the yellow container his son gave him in between his left hand's fingers. He was still testing the word, _his son_. Edward had problems putting his finger on the feeling he had when he was holding his hand. Perhaps it was natural. He had heard kids and parents had some sort of special connection. They were biologically set to love each other.

He chuckled darkly because there was no way in hell he was going to love this boy. As soon as court gave him full custody the kid was shipped to a boarding school in Paris.

A soft knocking on the door disturbed his peace. His eyebrows furrowed and he glanced at his Rolex; it was well after midnight. He stumbled while standing up from the chair, but surprised himself by walking in a straight line.

Edward braced with one hand on the wall next to the door. He turned the knob with the other and got startled as a hard slap connected with his cheek and made his head turn to the side.

Slowly, he turned his face toward his intruder he licked his upper lip and sneered, "Someone once told me you were not supposed to hit a woman, but do that again and I'll snap your neck in half."

"I know you, Edward, you're not scaring me," Rosalie said, pushing him away from the door and walking inside, leaving the door opened.

Edward looked at her from head to toe and shook his head. He almost felt sorry for her. All those years, all those fights and arguments, everything led to this moment: the moment in which she came knocking on his door in the dark hours of the day and he fucked her.

He felt disgusted for her, he had no idea how she woke up in the mornings.

"I told you in the clinic, I'll repeat myself: I'm not going to fuck you. Get some self respect!"

He walked a few steps away from the door and leaned on the back of his couch.

"I'm not here to fuck you. I'm here to tell you, you screwed up my life!" she hissed, her eyes stinging with tears.

Rosalie had cried so much after Emmett left with tear stained face. She begged him to stay with her, going as far as dropping down on her knees and grabbing his ankles, trying to stop him. She's never felt as pathetic as she did in this moment and when Emmett shut the door on his way out, it crushed her.

Violent sobs, depression and anger led her to Edward. She wanted to tell him it was his fault; her broken relationship, Bella's lack of happiness, Danny's fatherless babyhood.

"Rosalie, what the hell happened to you?" he asked, chuckling. "I'm so fucked, I don't even know why God wasted human space on me, but where did you became this _nothing_ you are now?"

Rosalie's eyes widened at his declaration. She never thought about Edward's prospective of life, of _his_ life.

_Why God wasted human space on me__?_

Irrational sadness overwhelmed her and she walked a few steps in his direction. She had every intention of breaking him with her visit, but little did she know, he was already _too_ broken for anymore new damage.

Rosalie placed her hand on the side of his face and made him look at her. She leaned down, trying to kiss him, but he jerked his head to the side. No way in hell was he having anything to do with Rosalie anymore since _that_ night.

* * *

**June 20****th****, 2009**

"_She's okay," was all that was written._

_Those three words made a small smile dance across Edward's face._

_He lied__ back in his bed, his room destroyed beyond tidying up. He furrowed his eyebrows at the broken mirror, slightly wondering where he might have broken it. A stinging sensation from his knuckles told him he had _indeed_ used his fist, but for the life of him, he had no idea when._

_The conversations he had with Esme, _his mother_, usually ended like this. He was always filled with rage after each encounter he had with her. Edward couldn't understand how a woman could hate her own son as much as his did._

_While he was growing up he didn't know why his Mommy and Daddy didn't love him. He always though he had done something wrong. He used to clean his room better than the housemaid ever did and made sure to write his homework and get good grades all the time, but he was never rewarded with the same thing his friends did._

_A congratulating hug from their parents._

_In his teens he was already aware of the problem. His mother was a whore, plain and simple. It didn't take a genius to see that Carlisle wasn't Edward's father. He never questioned who his real father was, but he never really cared. He had abandoned him, he couldn't care less if he was alive or not._

_Finding peace in his sister wasn't also an option. Alice was far more concerned to fuck the brains out of every student in their high school, rather than listen to his problems. Especially since she was Daddy's Little Girl._

_He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to stop his anger, unsuccessfully. A knock on his door took him out of his thoughts. He walked to the door and opened it, revealing a pissed off looking Rosalie._

Good as any_, he thought, dragging her inside and tearing her dress off her upper body._

_Rosalie gasped and her hand flew, trying to slap him, but he took a hold of her wrists with one hand, while stripping her out of her dress._

_As soon as she was standing only in her underwear, Rosalie took control over the situation. She undressed him fast, dropping down to her knees and taking him into her mouth. _

_Edward grabbed her hair tightly and thrust in and out of her mouth harshly. Rosalie gagged on him, but he kept going. All the hatred he felt for his mother and this fucked up day, he was taking out on Rosalie._

_Things progressed quickly after that. Rosalie lost her undergarments and got pressed at the wall next to the door. __Edward's hands secured her wrists with one hand, as he stroked her clit with__the head of his cock. The way he thrust inside of her powerfully, rocked her entire body. His hands, dug into the flesh of her ass cheeks, his finger finding his way in between them and stroking her anus, before a single finger entered._

_Rosalie came, crying out his name as he kept on pumping inside of her, hard. He hated her, hated his mother, hated everyone._

_He was crying without realizing it. Nothing was right for him, he couldn't even come._

"_Edward?" Rosalie questioned._

_He pushed her down on the bed and took his cock out of her, walking down to the bathroom. He slammed the door shut and slid down, heartbreaking sobs filling the emptiness of the bathroom._

_Even the text message couldn't put a smile on his face at that moment._

* * *

"Edward," Rosalie whispered.

"Get the f—" He was cut-off by a fist connecting with his mouth.

"Emmett!" Rosalie screamed.

He didn't hear her. He grabbed Edward by the collar of his shirt and lifted him from the ground, landing another blow on his face. Edward fell down onto the floor, face first and braced his fall with his hands. His self-preservation instinct was still working despite his drunken haze.

Emmett kicked him in the back and Edward arched it from the pain. On instinct his hands went to cover him from another blow, but he wasn't ready for a kick in the stomach. He doubled over, trying to catch his breath, as Emmett lowered down to his knees and slammed his head into the floor.

Emmett was suddenly grabbed from behind from the security guard of the building. He retrained him as Emmett trashed around, trying to free himself and land more hits.

"Fucking let go of me," he roared, elbowing the guard in the gut.

Another guard walked into the apartment and hit Emmett's face twice.

"That's for the kick in the stomach, you fucking asshole." The guard hit him again, but when Rosalie cried at them to stop, he stopped.

Everything was a blur after that. A police cruiser and an ambulance were parked in front of the complex Edward lived in. Emmett was arrested for trespassing and assault and Edward was looked up by a doctor.

Rosalie claimed to be Emmett's lawyer, wanting to help him, but he wanted none of it. He asked for his one call and gave the police Bella's number.

He had no intention of having any contact with Rosalie anymore.

**xxXxx**

"McCarty," the officer said. "Get up. You made bail."

The electric grid opened and the officer held it, waiting for Emmett to exit the cell.

"Isabella Swan?" Emmett asked. He was given an ice-pack for his bruised knuckles and he held the ice close to his soreness.

"Yes. Now move."

Emmett glared at the officer and stormed pass him down the narrow grey halls of the detention wing. Still holding the blue pack of ice over his knuckles he entered a wide room, obviously the main entrance of the police station. The walls were painted in yellowish white, memorials and photographs adoring the walls.

He saw Bella leaning at the information desk. She had put on a navy hoodie with sleeves way too big for her hands. Emmett couldn't help, but think she did it on purpose. She was trying to hide her wrist.

As soon as their eyes locked, Bella sighed. She walked cautiously in his direction, stopping right in front of him. She tilted her head backward and let a small cry out.

Emmett wrapped his arms around her, feeling stupid for causing her pain.

"Shh … I'm fine, Bella. It's okay," he shushed.

"It's not fine," she argued. "I had to come in the middle of the night to bail you out for assault. Why did you hit the guard as well, Em?"

"He was trying to stop me from going to Cullen's apartment." Emmett shrugged his shoulders, nonchalantly.

Bella glared at him, pulling away from his embrace. "Four thousand dollars."

"I'll pay you back," he assured.

"You better. I have a two years old to raise and no income whatsoever."

Emmett chuckled and tossed his muscular arm around her shoulders. "I got your back, Bella."

"I know," she whispered. "All though it was moronic decision to beat him up, thank you."

Her fingers fisted the shirt on his back and they walked out of the police station.

**xxXxx**

"I want cweam," Danny said, pointing his little finger toward the ice-cream stand.

"It's cold outside. I'll buy you a brownie." Bella kneeled down next to him and buttoned his jacket.

"I'm not cold, Momma," Danny whined, trying to push her fingers away from the buttons of his jacket.

"Daniel Jacob." His hands fell to his sides and he immediately felt remorseful. He knew Bella only used his full name when he was either in trouble, or doing something he shouldn't.

"Showy," he apologized, looking down.

Bella sighed and touched his puffy cheek. "Will I ever do something bad for you?" Danny shook his head. "It's cold and it's bad when you cough, right?"

Danny took her hand again and Bella stood up, continuing her walk.

Despite the fact the sky was covered in clouds, Bella wore sunglasses. The deep purplish bags under her eyes looked more like bruises than anything else and she didn't want to go out and scare people away.

The previous day had been one of the worst since she'd been in Seattle. Edward's visit had brought her down, the kissing fiasco with Emmett had her confused and lastly the trip to the police station took the little strenght she had left.

Since it was nearly six in the morning by the time Emmett and Bella walked into her apartment, they skipped sleep. Bella had to go get Danny from Lucy's apartment in a couple hours anyway, and she knew if she had even a minute of sleep she'd feel worse later.

Emmett left them for the day, saying he was going to look for a hotel room for the night. At first Bella argued, telling him he could stay, when in fact, he couldn't. The apartment was too small and she felt bad she couldn't even shelter her own friends.

Danny was full of energy by the time they decided to have a walk. He was speaking animatedly about the cartoon they saw at Lucy's last night. Bella humm'ed and ahh'ed at the right places, not really listening to her son, because her mind was million miles away.

She bought Danny a brownie and crossed the street with him hand in hand, until they got seated on a bench at the park.

Danny crawled his way up and Bella chuckled.

"Wut?" Danny asked.

"Nothing. It's just watching you do that makes Mommy laugh."

"He laf, too," he said, taking a bite from his brownie.

"He, who?" Bella questioned.

Danny furrowed his eyebrows, straining his mind for the right word. "F-f … uh … fad … uh …"

Bella's eyes widened. "W-when did he saw do that?" Her voice was more high-pitched than she intended.

Danny looked with innocent eyes, taking another bite from the brownie and speaking with his mouthful.

"He bot me choco egg and laf when I sat."

Bella shook her head, trying to think of a moment they could have been together. She came empty as she never really left his side, especially when Edward was around.

"Baby, when did that happen?" She whipped the chocolate from the corner of his mouth and licked her finger, tasting the sugary substance.

"Wen they poke me."

"Oh, God," she breathed. "What did he tell you?"

Danny shook his head. "He say 'go to Momma.' Notin else."

Bella could feel the loud pounding of her heart. Edward had been with Danny at the hospital. She wanted to beat the crap out of her for trusting that damn nurse with her child. Edward was unstable she had no idea what he could've done to her son.

With a deep sigh, Bella turned toward Danny and unbuttoned her trench coat, revealing a red shirt underneath. "Baby, Momma has to tell you something."

Danny nodded, urging her to continue. "You know the man who bought you the choco egg?"

"Yep."

"He … he said he was your father. Do you want to know what father is?"

Danny bobbed his head up and down again, his eyes filling with enthusiasm.

"You know you were in Mommy's belly before you came to me, right. Well, Mommy got help when … uh … you got inside her belly."

"Weally?" Danny asked. His face almost split in two from the wide smile that formed on his face.

"Really," she strained her mind, trying to think of a good metaphor and explain the whole situation to him. Bella always hoped he would be bigger when they had this conversation. Explaining to a two years old how his Daddy knocked Mommy up at a party, humiliated her and now wants to take him away from her it's not an easy task.

"You remember when Aunt Nessie's cat had babies?" she asked.

"Yep."

Bella chuckled. "Aunt Nessie's cat was their Mommy, because the kittens were in her belly."

Bella groaned and sighed. She would have to explain to him how orphans and adopted kids had Mommies some other time.

"Who put the kittens in cat's belly?"

"Uncle Jake's cat," Bella said, laughing a little at the memory. She was pregnant with Danny and it was freezing outside. She made Jake go to the store and buy her bananas. To her surprise he came back with bananas and a small, meawing, freezing kitten. He had said he didn't have the heart to leave it on the street.

"So, uncwe Wake's cat is fad … uh …"

"Uncle Jake's cat is the Daddy of the kittens."

"Daddy," Danny said, testing the word.

"Yes."

"I have a Daddy?" he asked. His eyes were big and full of questions. His small, pink lips were set in a line, waiting for an answer.

Bella's chin quivered and she blinked back tears. "Yeah. You have a Daddy."

"Who?" he asked, his mouth hanging open.

"The … um … the man that bought you the choco egg in the hospital."

Danny beamed and he squealed in delight, silently breaking Bella's heart.

**xxXxx**

"Right this way, Ms. Swan."

A red haired woman around Bella's age led her in the direction of the elevators. Her bob-styled hair bounced with each step she took. Her four inched heels clicked on the polished granite floor as she walked next to Bella.

"Good afternoon, Miss. Vicky," a man behind the counter greeted them. His long black hair was pulled on the back of his neck by an elastic band, revealing his olive-skinned face.

"Laurent, I'd like you to meet Isabella Swan. She's here for the position of Administrative Assistant." Vicky stopped in front of the dark golden desk at the main entrance.

Bella nodded and offered her hand to Laurent. "It's nice to meet you."

Vicky winked at Laurent and kept on walking toward the elevators.

"Laurent and I have been dating for two years. Hand off, he's mine." Vicky winked and chuckled at Bella's uncomfortableness. "I'm joking, relax."

Vicky instructed Bella to press the button for the sixth floor where she could meet the CFO, Thomas Summers.

Bella had been on the edge the entire morning. Emmett tried to reassure her that everything would be great, that Danny would be taken care of and that she'd rock the interview. At that time, it put her mind at ease, but now, only moments before she stepped into Thomas Summers' office, she was once again a trembling mess.

She straightened her white shirt and tugged on the waistband of her pencil skirt. She swayed a little on her legs, wearing heels too high for her comfort.

When the doors for the sixth floor opened, she had to take a few deep breaths before she stepped out of the elevator. Bella closed her eyes and tried to give herself the same pep talk she had been over the past twenty-four hours.

_You'll do great!_

_You have a Masters in International Affairs from Harvard. You'll rock their world._

_They'll be begging you to work for them._

_You will _not_ fall face first when you walk into the office._

"Isabella Swan? My name is Elle Cameron, I'm Mr. Summers' assistant. Right this way, Miss."

Elle Cameron was nice looking lady. She was probably in her early thirties, but the only thing giving away her age was the maturity behind her eyes. She was wearing flats and a wide white blouse, which barely hid her pregnant stomach.

Bella followed the assistant to a wooden door and watched her knock on the door.

"Come in."

Elle opened the door slightly and said, "Isabella Swan is here for you, sir."

"Thank you, Elle. Let her in."

Elle opened the door wider and winked sweetly at Bella, who looked like she was going to pass out.

Bella walked through the door and entered an old-fashioned office. The décor screamed middle-age, but gave this strange sense of home.

"Ms. Swan," Mr. Summers greeted, moving around the desk, offering his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Mr. Summers. Thank you for the opportunity."

"Please," Mr. Summers motioned with his hand toward the comfortable looking beige chairs in front of his desk. He waited for Bella to be seated and then sat on his own chair.

His deep brown eyes locked with hers and he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Let's start with the description of the job you'll be required to do. As we said in the e-mail we send you, here at Global Rights we help develop print and online promotional materials for a variety of internal and external audiences to convey the organizational mission and messages effectively and consistently.

"As we know from your application you're a Harvard graduate and from the academic review of your performance, I have to say from the behave of Global Rights, we were impressed.

"Personally I admire you for being a single mother and still successfully completing your education. We look for people like this, but sadly it's not a common occurrence to find such devoted individuals.

"Going straight to the point, we want you. Being Administrative Assistant is not an easy job, but it's on a flexible schedule. You could work from the office, which is preferable, but you could also take projects to your home and perform your duties from there.

"We offer you $25,000 per year, as a start. You will also have health benefits, retirement benefit plans, which would be discussed later on as your performance is monitored, child benefits, discount shopping and covering of all work-related travel expenses. So far, you will not be assigned any conferences, and/or other work travels, but it's possible in the future."

Bella stood there with her mouth agape, not really knowing what to say.

"I like you, Isabella and I would be pleased to have an employee as you in the company. I'm a father myself and I know the sacrifices we do for our children, but you strike me as a fighter."

"Thank you," Bella mumbled, her cheeks heating. She was worried they wouldn't approve her, because of Danny. After all he was a little boy, who needed his mother.

"Now," Thomas said, leaning on his elbows. "Tell me more about you, Isabella."

**xxXxx**

"How did it go?" Vicky asked, linking her arm with Bella's.

"Great. They want to start training me to start next week." Bella smiled and bit her lip.

Vicky squealed and threw her arms around Bella's neck. "Finally I'll have a friend in this company. Don't get me wrong, people are nice and all, but I kind of liked you."

Bella chuckled and hugged Vicky back. "Thank you."

"Shut, I got to go," Vicky cursed, hearing her pager. "See you next week."

Bella smiled and waved at Vicky. She started walking toward the exit, when she slipped on her heels.

"Wow, easy there," the man said, holding her hips firmly, but yet tenderly.

Bella blushed sixty shades of red and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry. I have troubles walking on flat, polished surfaces and four inched heels do nothing to help my coordination."

The man didn't let go of her, but the dimpled smile he gave her, made her forget all embarrassment. His whiskey colored eyes twinkled with humor as he flashed her a million dollar smile.

Bella's breath hitched in her throat, never had she felt such attraction to a man before.

The father of her child not included in the category.

"Well, I guess I'll have to take you out on dinner and hold your hand all night then."

Bella's eyebrows rose. "You're pretty sure of yourself…"

"Peter. Peter Summers."

"Bella Swan," Bella replied, looking Peter in the eyes.

**xxXxx**

"Dude, you look like you had five rounds with Mike Tyson," Jasper noted, waiting for Edward at the parking lot of Cullen Internationals.

"Fuck you, Hale. Have you seen your cousin's boyfriend?" Edward hissed, touching the tender skin beneath his eye.

Jasper chuckled and patted Edward on the back. Edward hissed and glared, "If I could, I'd beat you up. Don't fuck with me!"

Jasper flipped him off and they walked into the building.

Edward was on his phone by the time he walked into his office. He opened the doors with a bang and narrowed his eyes at the beautiful woman sitting on his chair with her legs crossed over his agarwood table.

"What the fuck are you doing in my office?" Edward spat.

"You and I need to have a little chat," she replied, flicking her brown hair behind her shoulder.


	13. And Then He Called Her

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then He Called Her_

"What the fuck are you doing in my office?" Edward spat.

"You and I need to have a little chat," she replied, flicking her brown hair behind her shoulder.

Edward glared at his cousin and slammed the door shut behind him. His green eyes stayed fixed on Charlotte's baby blue ones, trying to intimidate her.

Charlotte's melodic laughter filled the emptiness of the office. She hopped from Edward's office chair and skipped next to his side.

As she wrapped her arms around his neck, she gave him a sweet peck on the lips.

"Who busted your face all up?" she questioned, running the pads of her fingers over his bruises.

"The same fucker who beat me up the last time." He shrugged, cupping her ass and raising a suggestive eyebrow.

"How about we get out of here? My place is not that far, you know."

Charlotte made a gagging sound and slapped his hands away. "Jesus, Edward. I'm your cousin."

"You're in no way blood related to me," he noted.

"I know, you keep reminding me that since the day you could get your dick hard."

"What are you doing here, Char?" Edward asked, walking slowly toward his chair.

"Jasper called me. He said you could use help with the judge."

Edward turned his body fully in Charlotte's direction, suddenly interested in what she had to say.

"You're going to take my case?" he asked, a wicked grin forming on his lips.

Charlotte shook her head to the side and looked up, as if she was measuring her options.

"This depends…" she started, biting her lip.

"Money is not an issue as you know."

After his declaration Charlotte couldn't contain her laughter. She placed her open palm over her mouth, trying to silence it, but she couldn't.

"Oh, dear," she said. "Don't you know me? As if I will take this case, be biased, put my whole career in stake and give you custody of a two-years-old. I'm not going to lie to you, had I been the judge on your case, I'd not only _not_ give you custody, I'd put a restraining order on you."

"Family love, huh?"

"That's right," she agreed. "Tell me, E.D. what do you know about this child?"

"It's mine. His name is Daniel, he's two, and has the same birthday as me."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I really am."

Edward tilted his head to the side, not understanding what she talked about. He stood straighter on his chair and looked behind her, trying to see if she was talking to someone else.

"Okay, apparently this conversation will last." He pointed at the beige couch placed on the behind a coffee table in the corner of his office. Charlotte and he sat comfortably and he waited to her to start grilling him.

Charlotte Cullen was the only person in Edward's family he could not only stand, but have some affectionate feelings for. His father, Carlisle, was Charlotte's uncle and guardian after her parents were killed in an automobile crash when she was still a baby.

Charlotte was five years older than he was, but he always thought of her as his little sister. When she reached age, she was send to a boarding school in Paris. Edward barely saw her for the first fifteen years of his life. Her return was exactly what helped Edward for the last three years of his youth.

Charlotte sighed and grabbed both of Edward's hands in hers. "Listen E.D. I'm telling you this only because your face is too beaten up for me to do any more damage. Had it not been, my fists would have connected with that jaw of yours."

Edward chuckled, but she silenced him. "I'm talking," she said sternly. "Why do you want this child?"

"I don't like surprises. I don't want the kid to grow up and suddenly demand something that _I_ build, _I_ created from scratch. I won't allow it."

"Okay. You realize though, that the second you win custody, this child is your responsibility, right? He will be your only heir one way or another."

"The second this kid is in my possession, he's on my jet and in Paris."

Charlotte's face willed with grief. She could literally feel her heart breaking for her little cousin.

"You tried so hard not to be Carlisle, you turned just like him."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Edward asked, raising his voice.

Charlotte jumped from the couch and placed her hands on her hips, leaning toward Edward's seated frame. She looked intimidating as she franticly pushed her hair behind her ears, before placing her hands on her hips again.

"You want to ship your son on a boarding school in Paris? See any similarities?"

"It's not the same—" Edward argued.

"It's exactly the same!" she yelled. Taking a deep breath she started again on a calmer voice. "It's not right, E.D. Leave the child to his mother, send child support. You have more money you could ever spend on yourself. Perhaps making this child was a mistake, but don't punish him for your sins."

"You know nothing, Char. I can't allow it."

"Why?"

Edward opened his mouth several times and wrecked his brain for a reason, but nothing came out. He chuckled and ran his hands through his hair, feeling the pain from his bruises.

"You don't know," Charlotte stated. "It's something you _think_ you need to do. I know you. You may hate this fact, but I know you better than you know yourself!"

"You know nothing." He didn't spit the words, he sadly started the fact. He may not point an exact reason why he wanted Danny to be his, but he knew he had to have him.

"I really, really hate Carlisle right now," Charlotte said, sadly.

"I have hated him my whole life," Edward said and stood up. "Let me buy you coffee and try to seduce you yet again."

"Good luck with that." She chuckled and grabbed his hand, standing him up. "Hmm, only if you acted like a normal human being with anyone besides me, you probably would be a little happy."

"Happiness is for those who look for it. These people are usually the ones who get disappointed the most. I'm not good with that feeling."

"Misery feels better?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Charlotte dragged him toward the door. "Misery loves company."

Edward sighed and smiled, fisting his hands and stopping himself from hugging her. She was the only person who ever made him feel like this.

Charlotte saw him and rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding him tightly around her. He didn't hug her back, but she was used to it. Edward never hugged back, even if he needed it.

"Come on," he said, walking toward the door.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Charlotte exclaimed. "Let me teach you some manners, you rude, rude boy."

"What?"

"This right here…" Charlotte pointed toward the coat hanger. "…is my coat. You're supposed to take it off the rack, and hold it open for me."

Edward looked around the room, looking for a hidden camera. "You're serious?"

"Now!" she chastised. Edward sighed and took her white trench coat from the hander, opening it for her. Charlotte raised an eyebrow and tucked her hands in the sleeves.

"Do you want me to button it for you?" Edward whispered in her ear.

"You're going nowhere near my breasts, you insolent boy," she said, buttoning her coat. "Now go to the door and hold it open for me. This also allows you a great view of my ass."

Edward laughed and opened the door for her, motioning for her to go first.

"Thank you. Now give me your arm and escort me to the café."

"You're starting to piss me off, Char and you know I'm only faking my good mood right now."

"Fuck you, Cullen," she said.

Edward chuckled. "Fuck you right back, Cullen."

**xxXxx**

"No."

"Oh, come on."

"No."

"How about this one."

"Absolutely not."

"Fine, you pick it up."

"Dress for invisibility, Bella. It's your first day at a new job, you don't want to intimidate your new co-workers. You're a hot MILF, you should dress like a nun at least for today," Emmett said, leaning back on the headboard of the bed.

Bella had been very anxious about her first official work day. She pulled all of her clothes into the bed and asked Emmett for his opinion on each outfit.

"Polo shirt?" Bella asked, pulling a dark green polo shirt from the pile of clothes on the bed.

"I was kidding about the nun thing," Emmett said. "Just, put on a black suit and something that doesn't show your … umm … sources of Danny's food for a year and a half."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "My breasts"

"Uh … yeah."

Bella chuckled and pulled a cream colored shirt with a boat neckline which hid her breasts completely. "This okay?" she asked.

"Perfect!" Emmett agreed. "Dress up, I'll wait for you in the living room."

"Oh, can you check on Lucy? She should be here any moment now, but I just want to be sure."

"You got it."

Emmett closed the bedroom door behind him and walked toward the kitchen where the house phone was attached to the wall. Just before he could reach for the headphone, he heard a knock on the door.

Thinking it was Lucy he opened the door without asking who was on the other side. He was more than surprised when he found himself face-to-face with Rosalie.

"Emmett," she breathed. "H-hi."

"What are you doing here, Rosalie?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I wanted to speak with Bella before her interview. It's important."

"She's getting dressed, but I'm not sure she would like to see you. You're not her favorite person in this moment."

"What about you?" she asked, hopefully.

"You're as good as dead to me," he lied. He turned his back on her and walked into the apartment, grabbing his hoodie from the back of the couch. "I don't think she'll throw you out."

"Emmett, please. I made a mistake!" she begged, putting her palm on his chest when he tried to move past her on his way to the door.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I'm not going to be a fool any longer, Rosalie. You're more than welcome to stay with Cullen. You two are a match made in Heaven."

"Rosalie," Bella's voice came from behind them. "Let him go."

"Bella, I'm sorry, but this is between me and Em—"

"Let me rephrase myself: let him go, or I'll throw you out."

With tears in her eyes, Rosalie stepped to the side and watched Emmett's retreating form down the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked, motioning to Rosalie to follow her back into the bedroom. Bella sat in front of her vanity mirror and started to apply mascara on her eyelashes.

"I wanted to tell you that my colleague will be here later today. We'll consult with Jas—"

"No!" Bella snapped. "You'll be staying on this case simply because you're the best attorney I know. You'll be watched all the time from another attorney I contacted after I found out about your extracurricular activities with Edward. His name is Paul Brennan."

"You don't trust me?" Rosalie asked, her tears finally falling down her cheeks.

Bella looked at her and shook her head. "Place yourself in my shoes. Would you trust yourself?"

"Bella, I swear to you! I won't let you down."

"Your words mean nothing to me anymore. I understand I may act like a bitch right now, but after all you've done, don't expect special treatment."

"So … what happens now?" Rosalie asked.

"We wait for Edward's attack. I'm sure it'll come. Until then you can get associated with Mr. Brennan. I'll send you his number later today," Bella said, standing up after she finished the last touches of her makeup. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to drop my child to his babysitter and go to work."

Bella walked out of the room, yelling after her back for Rosalie to close the door on her way out.

**xxXxx**

"I'm here," Charlotte said, swallowing the bite of cake in her mouth. "So I'll give you a little help with the case, but that's it."

"What help exactly would that be?" Edward asked, taking a sip from his coffee.

Charlotte patted the crumbs left from the cake off her fingers and sucked the chocolate left on her thumb.

"You're in court, custody case, seventy-five percent of the cases the mothers are given sole custody. Usually the fathers can object and get two weekends monthly with the kids, but since this is not what you want, you're only way to win is to make Daniel's mother unfit. Now, I know you're a sick bastard and all, but you're going to need one helluva proof that this woman is in threat of her child."

"How do I do that?" Edward asked.

Charlotte laughed. "I'm not going to help you, E.D. In my opinion you should just let this woman be."

"Not going to happen, Char."

"Fine. No court of law will give you custody of a child you haven't spend any time with. Call his mother and arrange a meeting, if you manage a sleepover, even better."

"Where the hell am I supposed to put this kid if we have a sleepover?"

Charlotte grinned and flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "You live in a penthouse, big boy. We'll make a child's room."

"I don't want that!" Edward argued.

"I don't really care. You want to win this case, you do what you have to. Now, let's go buy stuff for the little guy."

**xxXxx**

"Summer's son still asking you out?" Vicky asked, sitting on top of Bella's desk.

"Every day for the past two weeks," Bella said, not stopping the typing on her computer. "Ever since my first day here, he's been sending me flowers and asking me out to dinner."

"So, go out with him. Save him from his miseries."

"I have a son, Vicky. I can't just jump into a relationship. I'm a mother first, a woman second."

"You need someone to scratch your itch. I can't even imagine how you survive without sex."

"I never had a good taste of sex, so how do you miss something you never experienced?"

"Fuck you, Swan. You're boring." Vicky kissed Bella on the cheek and swayed her hips on the way out of the office. "I'm going to have sex in the storage room."

"Try not to get copy toner on your skirt again," Bella yelled after her.

Bella enjoyed her work more than she imagined she would have. After being employed for two weeks, Bella got to know the people she worked with, her job as a whole and befriended Vicky.

The only thing she was unsure of, was Peter Summers' invitations. He never intended anything sexual, just a movie and a dinner, but Bella didn't know what to do.

The ringing of her cell phone startled her and she placed her palm on her chest. She looked at the caller I.D. and saw a unknown number.

_Probably a client._

"Bella Swan," she answered.

"_Hello, Bella,"_ Edward replied.

Bella's blood ran cold. "What do you want?" she spat. "I haven't heard from your lawyers in weeks."

"_I need to see you. I won't take no for an answer."_


	14. And Then They Met Elizabeth

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __They Met Elizabeth_

The weeks following Charlotte's arrival drove Edward crazy. His cousin's attempts to warm him up toward his son never seized. She spoke of Danny all the time, always making sure to add the words "your son" before saying the child's actual name.

Charlotte found Edward's unawareness of her actions very ludicrous. He build an empire from the dust, dealt with actions, transactions and board meetings daily, but when it came to simple manipulation, he was as dense as a London fog.

Every day when they went to the store to buy things for Danny's room, he participated more and more. In his mind he was solely doing it to gain points in the eyes of the jury, but somewhere along the way he actually started enjoying the idea of having Danny around.

And this scared the living daylights out of him.

Charlotte gloated every time Edward fought her about something connected with the interior of the room. She loved her cousin's participation in the process, so she made sure to jam with him on every turn. Her demand of a gender appropriate blue walls, was met by an argument stating that a green room would be better. The bed size threw them in yet another fight, but the worst of all came with their decoration ideas.

The saleslady was sure that only one of them will leave the store alive.

Charlotte didn't really care about the room. She enjoyed pushing Edward, but more than anything she _loved_ that he pushed back.

He cared.

Days turned weeks and the room was almost complete. After a huge dispute about the toys needed to be bought, the cousins agreed to let Danny chose them himself.

Edward spent a lot of his time in the new room. The pale green walls gave said room light that lacked everywhere else in the penthouse. The interior was appropriate for a child, but it wasn't strictly made for a toddler. Even though Charlotte made sure they bought a crib, they decided to have a double bed with bedding matching the walls, just in case Danny preferred sleeping in an actual bed.

He had no idea what the child flavored, and yet he wanted him over to spend the night.

It was a Friday afternoon when he decided it was time to call Bella. He had her number programmed into his phone after she called him and told him about Danny. Edward found himself actually anxious to have this conversation with her. His mind was a mess, and he considered murdering Charlotte for messing with his brain the way she did. He had always been a straight minded person, a quality which helped him grow to where he was. Setting your eyes on the prize and working your way to get it was easy. He was used to fucking people up as long as he got what he wanted.

In this situation, though, he had no idea what the prize was. Was it winning the custody in court and protecting his money, or becoming a father? Or was it winning the custody _and _being a father?

He didn't even entertain that idea.

Edward was sitting sideways on Danny's double bed, phone in hand, thumb over the dialing button. He hadn't moved from this position in about an hour and his body was getting numb. With a deep sigh he finally decided it was time.

The number was dialed. It rang once, it rang twice and then she answered. "Bella Swan."

"Hello, Bella," Edward said, his voice calm and collected.

"What do you want?" she spat. "I haven't heard from your lawyers in weeks."

"I need to see you. I won't take no for an answer."

"Fuck you," she said and hung up.

Edward kept the phone to his ear even after he heard the dialing tone. He closed his eyes for a second and fell backward on the bed, groaning.

He took the phone again and re-dialed Bella, hoping she'd talk again.

"What?" she hissed once she picked up.

"When I said I needed to speak to you, I meant it."

"I don't care what you want, less what you need. I don't need to do anything with you. Leave me alone."

She hung up again, but this time Edward wasted no time and called her again. He was almost sure she wouldn't pick up, but when she did he said the only thing he was sure it would keep her on the line.

"Meet me and I'll release my lawyer from his services."

"What?" she breathed.

"I need to talk to you about something and I need to do it face-to-face."

Bella was silent, but her breathing was uneven. She couldn't lose control of the situation. Not now. Not after she'd fought for independence from the second she stepped foot in Seattle. She never told anyone the real reason she moved to Seattle. Surely she could have called Edward from Massachusetts; perhaps it would've been the safer option, but she was sick of playing safe.

All her life Jacob held her hands through everything. Her father's lack of protection was always filled by Jake. He was always there when she made a mistake, he always guarded her. Bella had been naïve for too long. She needed a chance to grow up, to make mistakes and pay the price for them. She was damn proud of herself, getting a job, raising her child and fighting a billionaire asshole for custody all by herself.

She wasn't going to fall on her back now, after all she did.

"We'll meet in public," she finally said.

Edward jumped from the bed, surprised. He was expecting another hang up, which definitely would have led to a visit at her small apartment.

"There's a breakfast bar on—" He sat back on the bed, when Bella rudely interrupted him.

"_I_ say where we meet. I'll be at the entrance of Denny Park tomorrow at ten in the morning. Better don't be late, or—"

"Don't threaten me," he spat. "I'm playing nice, so you better do it as well, or I'm seeing you in court."

"Ten," she hissed and hung up.

"Interesting development," Charlotte said. She was leaning on the open door, playing with the sleeve of her silky blouse.

"Shut up," Edward ordered.

"Awww, come now!" She walked into the room and sat on the bed next to Edward, crossing her legs. "You actually like the boy and want to be his father, don't you?"

"No," he said. Even he had no idea if he was lying or not. All he was sure of was that the little yellow container with the small Kinder Surprise toy was burning a hole in his pocket every time someone mentioned Danny. He couldn't even explain why he always carried the toy with himself.

"E.D. listen to me. I'm not saying this because I'm your cousin and I love you, I'm saying it because it's true. During my entire career I've never seen such a lost soul as you. You've seen this boy what? Twice? Thrice? You want to distance from the feelings you feel toward it, but you can't. He's _your son_!"

"For the millionth time, Char — I don't have feelings for the kid."

"You're afraid you'll be like Carlisle, aren't you?"

"This has nothing to do with Carlisle!" he said, raising his voice.

"Oh, really?" Charlotte said, mockingly. "It has _everything_ to do with him. Why did you choose the _same_ boarding school I was send to then? Why do you act like him, Edward?"

Edward huffed and stood from the bed, trying to leave the room, but Charlotte stopped him, grabbing his elbow. "You're not like him. You can still be a good father for the boy."

"I really think it's time for you to leave. You _abused_ your welcome! I'm going to the office, you better be gone when I come home."

Edward jerked away from her hand and walked out of the room without looking back. Behind him he heard Charlotte yelling, "What home?"

**xxXxx**

Bella blew hot air in her palms and rubbed them together in a useless effort to warm them. She exhaled deeply, seeing the white fog escaping from her lips.

She shook on her place and walked a few steps back and forth, wondering how long she was waiting already. The watch on her right wrist was covered by layers of clothing and her cell phone was probably at the bottom of her purse.

Anticipation took the best of her and she rose to her tip-toes and looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of Edward's outstanding hair, but she saw nothing.

Internally she was beating herself up for showing thirty minutes earlier in this blood-freezing cold. The weather literary turned to the worst overnight, and she couldn't help but associate her decision to meet Edward with angering the Gods.

Bella walked toward the bench next to the Denny Park's entrance. Sitting on the freezing wooden bench, she felt the coldness seeping through her jeans and she took a sharp breath.

_Meet in public my ass._

Bella watched as the last leaves fell from the bare branches of the tree in front of her, giving under the forceful wind. The park was empty, not a living soul around apart from the dogs and the guard near the entrance.

_I should have taken that coffee offer._

Thinking about it now, Bella never really considered Edward's suggestion. A meeting in a crowded breakfast bar was definitely favorable to sitting outside in the freezing cold. To say "no" to him was like a natural reaction. She couldn't remember how many times she declined his suggestions over the phone. They conversed for almost five minutes after Bella hung up on him three times, and each of Edward's proposals were met with a negative respond.

_Why did I agree to this shit?_

Bella lifted her legs on the bench and tucked the heels of her shoes in between the bench's laths. She entwined her fingers and pushed them in between her thighs to keep them warm. The air was blowing her hair right into her face, so she turned her head in the direction of the wind and rested her cheek on her knees, letting her hair fly.

As sniffed and felt the numbness in her chin, her decision to get out of there was made. Placing one of her legs back on the ground, she turned to the side and saw Edward standing on a few feet away from her with a coffee cup in his hand. His long trench raincoat was open and she could see the designer suit he had underneath.

Figuring out he was standing there for quite some time, she glared at him. Here she was standing in the freezing cold, while he was a few feet away from her, watching her with a cup of coffee.

He smirked and walked to her standing on the side of the bench. He extended his hand and offered her the coffee, a gesture which made Bella laugh.

"No, thanks, I prefer to live! You see, I have a kid at home, which depends on his mother since his father is a fucked-up asshole without a good bone in his body."

"Hello to you, too," he said, sarcastically. "It's not poisonous, I was just trying to be a gentleman."

"The day you become a gentleman, the hell will freeze and the pigs will start flying."

"Fine," he scoffed, taking a sip from the coffee. "I knew buying one was a good idea."

Fighting the urge to slap him across the face, Bella regained her composure and stood up from the bench, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"What do you want?" she asked. She was done playing his game.

For the first time since she'd known him a genuine smile formed on his lips. The gesture made his eyes twinkle a bit, a vibrant jade, which stood up to the redness the wind had placed of his cheekbones.

"I want what you want. I want my son to have a father."

"And I want world peace!" she mocked. "What do I have to do to make sure you won't sue me for custody again?"

A devilish smirk appeared on his lips and he took an intimidating step forward. Bella stood her ground and didn't back away as her instincts were screaming at her. She raised her chin and dared him to say whatever venomous sentence he was going to spit at her.

"I can think of a few things," he said.

Bella's mouth dropped, before she let out a forced laugh. "My purse is heavier than a rock right now; if you don't want a close look of its contents get the fuck out of my face."

"You use this bad mouth around my son?"

"He's not your son!" she yelled. Her fingers held the straps of purse tighter. She felt good for the lack of people in the park at that moment. She would've died from mortification if someone heard her yelling like a crazy woman. "You're a sperm donor from a crappy one-night stand! A father is there when his son is born, a father is there to watch him walk and talk for the first time. Hell, to even change his dirty diapers!

"You're _not_ a father! I gave you a chance to be, but all you did was threaten me, abuse me and sue me! I will never forgive you!"

Before she could even turn to leave, Edward held her bruised wrist gently, stopping her. It was almost healed after two weeks, but there were still some yellowish spots which occasionally throbbed. As her wrist watch dug into the bruises she hissed and shoved him away with her other hand, cradling her hand at her stomach.

Edward followed the motion and a line formed between his brows. "Oh, come on! I didn't even grab you that hard."

"Not today!" she spat.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head.

"Are we playing this game?" he asked.

Bella growled and forcefully pushed her sleeve to just below her elbow. Edward's eyes fell to her wrist and his eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing.

He couldn't help the flashbacks of his bruised mother as they passed through his mind.

He was just like Carlisle.

Edward felt the need to apologize, to say something, to show some remorse for his actions. Never had he thought he would see his fingers imprinted in the flesh of a woman in such a way. He breathed in, wanting to say "sorry."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

"Because it doesn't matter. Your money get you out of everything, don't they?"

"You know nothing about me!" he said, harshly.

"I have no intention of knowing you, whatsoever!"

"Like it or not, here we are. I'm giving you what you want!"

"You'll die?" she asked with a grin.

"I'll call Jasper and tell him I would no longer be needing his services, as promised."

"In what condition?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her. The wind blew her hair in every direction, getting in her face and Edward had to fight the urge to just grab her head and hold her hair in place.

"You will sign a contract stating you wouldn't want any of my money and the case never goes to court."

Bella hummed. "I knew it was your money all along, but if I knew it would've been so easy I'd have suggested it a long time ago."

"Take it or leave it?" he asked.

"I'll sign that contact," she said, her hands falling to her sides. She licked her lips and leaned toward him, almost breathing in his ear. "If you sign your parental rights to me."

"No!" he rejected. "Not going to happen."

Bella was taken aback by his sudden defensiveness. "Why not?"

Her question was simple, but it was one Edward had no answer of. He couldn't even answer it for himself.

"You know what?" he spat. "You're right! My money can buy everything! Including that jury! I'll see you in court!"

He walked pass her, careful not to touch her. With his hands deep inside his pockets he walked inside the alleys of the park, his pace fast and unstoppable. The answers he hoped it would be answered only brought more and more questions.

Why did he care?

It took him a while, but he finally figured it out. Charlotte was right — he cared about Danny. Maybe it was his biological need to be around his child, maybe it was something else he couldn't put his finger on. It was then when he finally realized, he wasn't interested in "why" he cared. He just knew he did.

Edward sat on one of the benches near the alley and buried his long fingers into his messy hair. His eyes were clenched and he could feel the loud beating of his heart in his ears.

He sat there for what felt like hours, when in fact it couldn't have been more than several minutes. His fingers were numb from the cold and he shuddered against the iciness when he heard heels walking toward him.

He didn't look up to see who it was, he already knew. He felt Bella sitting next to him, but neither she, nor he made any attempts to move or start a conversation.

"You love him," she said.

"I don't like anything!"

She chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure you don't. The only think you cherish are your money. However, you love him."

Edward shook his head, silently disagreeing with her. He leaned back on the bench and stared before him, not looking at her.

"I know about the hospital. I know you bought him a choco egg and watched him climb the bench. My son tells me everything."

Edward remained silent, but Bella continued. "It doesn't take much to love him. That goofy smile and piercing eyes can make you do anything. God is my witness this boy had made me surrender more times than I care to admit.

"I hate it. I hate that you had a moment with him. I hate that you stormed into my house and declared yourself his father. I hate that ever since I explained to him what a father was, he kept asking when Daddy will come and see him."

Edward looked at her then, but didn't speak. Instead Bella continued.

"You don't deserve anything other than sorrow and pain. You don't deserve to know Danny. I made the sober chose to call you and break my life, to lose the paradise I was living in. But damn it all to hell, if you once make Danny smile I'd be worth it."

"I hate you!" he finally said.

"I know. I hate you, too. More than you can ever imagine. I have never hated anything or anyone with the passion I hate you."

They fell silent again then. There were no more words to be said. Neither of them moved from the bench and neither started another conversation. For any passer-by they were a man and a woman enjoying a silent time in the park, when in fact they were two parents with hated each other's guts, but fought for their son's best interest.

"I don't love him," Edward said, again breaking the silence.

"Not yet. You feel connected to him, though."

"I wanted to spend time with him and gain gold starts in the jury's eyes. I even made a room for him."

Bella turned her head to the side and they looked at one another's eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because those are no longer my reasons. Two motherfucking useless weeks in which I never even caught a glimpse of him and now all I want to spend time with him, just for the sake of it."

"Where do we go from here?" Bella asked.

"I won't change," he declared. "With me what you see is what you get. Don't expect anything from me."

"I'll never want anything from you," she said.

"Except to be Danny's father.

Bella turned fully in his direction then. She never heard her son's name fall from his lips and she hated the fact that it sounded beautiful.

"I don't even want that anymore. It's too late though."

"Yeah. It's too late. I want him to stay the night with me."

"That's going to happen when Danny is eighteen and can decide for himself. There won't be any unsupervised visits between the two of you. Every time you're out with him, I'll be there, too."

"And if I don't agree?" he asked.

"I'll see you in court where I'll fight with my dying breath to keep DJ away."

"This will be the last time we'll be civilized with each other, right?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded. "Oh, yeah."

"Let's go," he said and stood up from the bench, waiting for Bella to follow him.

"Danny and I frequently come here. Since it's cold, I was thinking about going to the closed playground near my apartment building."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because as soon as I stand up, everything's gone."

She followed him and they walked toward the park's entrance where their cars were parked. Even though they walked side by side, they didn't talk, or touch, or even wait for each other. Bella walked with hurried steps, wanting to get out of Edward as fast as she could. Too much happened today and she needed a rest.

She also needed to prepare Danny for the meeting that would inevitably come soon.

Bella circled the alley toward the parking lot first. Her hands were wrapped around her body and her eyes were trained to the ground. She neither heard, nor saw the car coming in her direction. However she felt the arm that wrapped around her waist and pulled her back.

Startled, she gasped and almost fell to the ground. Edward tightened his arms around her and helped her stand on her own.

"Are you blind?" he yelled.

Bella turned her eyes to yell at him, but she saw he wasn't looking at her. He was shooting daggers at the shiny Mercedes that abruptly stopped before colliding with Bella.

"I'm so sor—" A middle-aged woman with a honey colored hair said, opening her car door and jogging toward Bella. "Bella?"

Bella stepped away from Edward and turned to look at the woman. "Oh, God! Elizabeth!"

Her arms were suddenly around the woman's shoulders. Elizabeth's floral perfume attack Bella's nose and she felt like a little child again. Elizabeth had taken the role of a mother for a long time and Bella could help the feeling of gratefulness she felt for her.

"How are you, dear? I haven't seen you in such a long time. Look at the circumstances we reunite? How've you been? How's your little boy? Charlie told me you gave birth a few years ago? What's his name? Do you have a photo?"

"Wow, wow, wow!" Bella chuckled. "I'm fine. My child's fine. His name is Daniel Jacob and yes, in my purse."

Bella unzipped her bag and looked for her wallet. She found Danny's pocket size photo and handed it to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth gasped and looked from the photo to Bella and then to Edward. "Oh, I'm sorry beautiful, but he's just like his father." She laughed and extended her arm toward Edward. "My name is Elizabeth Masen."

"Edward Cullen," he said.

Elizabeth's breath hitched and her eyes narrowed. "Are you in any way related to Esme Cullen?"

"Uh, yes. She's my mother."

"Jesus," Elizabeth said, placing the photo of Danny in Edward's open hand. "I have to go."

"Are you okay?" Bella asked concerned.

"Yes," she said. "I just forgot I had to do something."

Elizabeth all but ran to her car and slammed the door shut behind her. The tires squealed from the speed the car left the parking lot with. She didn't bother with a seatbelt, her only concern at that moment to even out her breathing.

She turned the car to a side alley and stopped the engine. She leaned back on the seat and rested her open palm on her forehead as if she was checking her temperature.

Her phone rang, startling her. She grabbed the ringing object from the seat next to her and answered the call without looking at the caller I.D.

"Where are you?" her husband asked. "I thought you were supposed to be back at Forks by now."

"I'm on my way," she said and hung up. The cell phone was still in her hand, so she decided to play it safe. Elizabeth had lived all those years with a delusion. The lies were over.

She called the private investigator she used when she needed to check the background of her potential clients and waited for him to pick up.

"James Jenks," he said.

"Mr. Jenks, good morning. It's Elizabeth Masen."

"Hello, Mrs. Masen. Do you need to look at a client?" he asked.

"Not exactly. I need you to do me a personal favor, though. No questions asked."

"Uh, sure."

"I need to know if Edward Cullen is my husband's bastard child."

* * *

_The question everyone is asking so badly is "Why Bella came to Seattle to meet with Edward. Why meet him at all?" As stated in chapter one, Bella is naive! She never had the support system from her father, her mother passed away and all her classmates were rich snobs who never said a word to her. Her only constant in live was Jacob and she hated the fact that he always guarded her. She needed to make her own decision for once. She needed to face the consequences of her mistake if she had to, but she needed to do it alone. Apparently people failed to notice that Bella started growing up when Edward threatened her. She needed something like this to finally get a grip of her life. She hated the fact that she lived with Jake, had no job and all she did was raise Danny. Now she has something to feel accomplished for, apart from being a mother._


	15. And Then He Showed Up

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __He Showed Up_

**October 2****2nd****, 2011**

Bella gaped after Elizabeth's fast retreat. The woman had watched her, and looked after her while she was a little girl, but Bella had never seen her so shocked.

During the years Bella hadn't seen her, the former frequently thought about reconnecting with her friend, but somehow the time and the moment never seemed right.

She wondered about Elizabeth's life. Was she still having problems with Edward? Was he still cheating on her? Was he still ignorant of her?

Even though she was a little girl, Elizabeth always acted with Bella as if she was a grown up. She made sure to speak with Bella about the problems she had, hoping that Bella would do the same in return. Elizabeth tried to fill the void of a mother figure in her life. Unknowingly, Bella also helped. Elizabeth's sterility did a huge crush on her life.

"How did she know your mother?" Bella asked, turning her head to look at Edward only to find the spot he was previously standing empty. She, however, saw the speedy exit of a silver expensive vehicle from the parking lot.

A low growl erupted from Bella's chest. He had taken Danny's picture with him. It wasn't like she didn't have albums upon albums with photographs of her son, but she hated the fact of Edward having one as well.

Huffing, she walked in the direction of her car and sped all the way to her apartment. She had to take Danny from Lucy's care, since the elder needed to do her own business today.

As she pulled her Saab into the free parking spots in front of the apartment building's entrance, she noticed a dark green Toyota parked right in front of her. She immediately recognized the car and groaned. She wasn't ready to deal with him just yet.

Bella locked the door behind her and walked to Lucy's home to take Danny. The boy was happy and eager to go, since he was promised a day at the park. Bella felt bad for breaking his heart, but there was no way she was letting him outside in the cold.

They walked hand-in-hand to their apartment. Bella listened to Danny's animated story of how he had spent his morning. She learned all about the hot chocolate Lucy gave him, the game of hide and seek they played, and the new picture he started drawing.

Bella found herself in a loss of words when he asked her about her morning. She debated telling him she was with his father, since this was all he talked about ever since she let him know of Edward's existence, but eventually she decided against it. She was still wondering whether or not he would show up tomorrow on the closed playground and she didn't want to get Danny's hopes up.

As soon as they reached their floor and the elevator doors opened, Bella came face to face with Mike. She jumped slightly, startled and tightened her grip on Danny's hand on instinct.

"Uncwe Mick!" Danny exclaimed, letting go of Bella and opening his arms for Mike to lift him from the ground.

"Hey, little man!" Mike said. "How've you been?"

"Good. I got a daddy!" Danny informed.

Bella's heart skipped a beat, like it did every time the word "daddy" slipped from Danny's lips.

"Really?" Mike asked, looking at Bella, worried. "Interesting things happen in your life, kiddo."

Mike glared at Bella, but instead of feeling uncomfortable, she got angry. "Yes. His life is a real rollercoaster ever since she stepped foot in Seattle."

Mike closed his eyes tightly and squeezed Danny before letting him on his feet on the floor. Danny stepped next to his mother as soon as he was down.

"Can we please do this in the apartment, Bella?" Mike beseeched.

"Do what exactly?"

"Talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Mike let out a forced laugh. "Are you for real right now?" he asked.

"Mike, rationally I understand none of what had happened it's your fault," she said. "However, there is a part of me that blames you for everything. If she have this conversation now, I'm going to say things I don't really think. I'll hurt you and I don't want that. Let me be, Mike! One day I'll be ready. Today is not that day."

Bella placed her open palm in between Danny's shoulder blades and slowly pushed him toward their apartment door, leaving a heartbroken Mike behind them.

**xxXxx**

**October 23th****, 2011**

"How's my little man?" Jacob asked.

Bella tucked her cell phone between her ear and shoulder and kneeled down to zip-up Danny's jacket.

"He's anxious to go to the playground. I swear he hadn't stopped talking about it. He's driving me coo-coo."

"Coo-coo?" Jake chuckled. "He's near you, right?"

"Uh-huh." She grabbed her son's olive green hat and placed it on top of his head. Kissing his clothed forehead she opened her hand in invitation and opened the door as Danny laced his fingers through Bella's.

"When are you going to come back?"

"Jake, we've been here for a month! I just started my job; we can't just come back to Cambridge."

"I miss you. Both of you."

"We miss you, too. You have no idea how much."

Jacob was silent for a moment, but then he cleared his throat and asked, "How come Emmett and Rosalie came to visit you and neither came back?"

"Uh … they have their problems, you know … with the break-up. I guess they need some time."

Bella heard a loud crash from the other side of the line and almost dropped her phone. She pulled her key from the lock after she locked it and placed it in her pocket.

"Jake?" she asked, concerned.

"I am _so fucking done_, Bella. When the fuck were you going to tell me?" he yelled. "I had to learn from Rosalie! Rosalie!"

"Jake—"

"No!" he stopped her. "You stayed silent for too long, now you'll shut up while I'm speaking! I have been by your side for everything. I didn't know I had to prove my friendship to you. I thought you knew I was loyal and understanding and that I would jump in front of a speeding bullet, just to save you."

"Jake, please." Bella tried again, her voice breaking.

"He's suing you! He wants to take DJ away. He motherfucking bruises you, threatens you, makes you have a DNA test and you didn't even tell me about it!" His screams were so loud Bella had to move her phone from her ear. "Worse than that, I asked you the day after you moved, how did the talk with him go, and you said he didn't care. You _lied_ to me!"

Bella clenched her jaw in a useless effort to stop her tears from falling. Danny was right beside her and the last thing she wanted was to break down in front of him. However, the truth behind Jacob's word hurt her deeply. He was right, as he was always, but he couldn't understand her reasoning even if she tried to explain herself. He wouldn't understand why would she want to save Edward from the beating up he would have definitely gotten had Jacob known what was happening. He also wouldn't comprehend the need that she _had _to do it alone. For once in her life she had to fight her own battle.

During the phone call which abruptly ended with Jacob hanging up on Bella, she and Danny never stopped walking down the narrow hallway leading to the elevator. Seeing Bella's distress, Danny stopped walking and tugged on his mother's hand, urging her to stop. She looked at the boy confused and asked him what was wrong.

"You 'kay, Mommy?" he asked. He always called her that when he was worried about her well-being.

"Sure, baby. I was just having a … ding-dong with Uncle Jake."

"Wanna stay home?" he asked.

Bella shook her head and kneeled down in front of him, tugging his hat down. "No. I promised we'd go to the playground."

"We go tomowow."

"Mommy has to work tomorrow," she said. "Besides … um … your daddy could be there."

Bella saw the spark that lit Danny's eyes, but he said nothing. Instead he placed his small hands on Bella's cheeks and leaned down, rubbing his nose with Bella's like she did when he was sad.

"I lof you," he said.

Bella's eyes could no longer contain her tears and she wrapped her arms around her son. Her heart filled every time he was around her and she couldn't imagine a life without him in it. Her love didn't have an end.

"I love you, too! You're the most important, special and beautiful person in my life."

"We'll go anoter time." He smiled at her, showing his baby teeth and waited for Bella to stand up and walk back to the apartment.

"Are you sure, sweetie? Don't you want to see … to see daddy?"

He shook his head and squeezed her fingers. "I want momma."

She didn't need to hear another word.

**xxXxx**

**October 28****th****, 2011**

"Hello, Bella," Peter said, startling her.

Bella chocked on her sandwich and covered her mouth with her hand. Panicking, Peter grabbed the bottle of water in front of her and opened it for her.

She took the bottle and raised her hand in a silent thank you, before downing half of it in a gulp.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Bella shook her head and waved him off. "Don't worry about it."

"Can I …" He motioned to the empty chair in front of her and she nodded her hand, giving him permission to join her for lunch. Global Right's buffet was amazing and Bella enjoyed grabbing a bite in the cafeteria when she wasn't overly occupied with work.

"How've you been, Bella?"

She chuckled. "Nothing much happened since yesterday."

"I don't come out as a stalker do I?" he asked, mockingly.

"I still haven't put a restraining order on you," she joked.

"Bella," he sighed. "It's been almost a month. I like you and I'm interested of getting to know you. Please go out with me tonight."

"Pete, I have a child—"

"And as I've said before, this is not an issue. I love kids and I really want to meet yours."

"It's not that. Listen, I can't just jump into the unknown. I have responsibilities, I'm a mother. What if Danny doesn't like you? Or, what if he does and gets too attached and things don't work out?"

"Wow, you're the first woman that's broken up with me without even going on date."

"I'm sorry, Peter. I just can't do it. I have to think about my son first."

Bella's cell phone started ringing before Peter could say another word. She glanced at the screen and groaned.

"I have to take this, I'm sorry," she apologized and stood up from the chair, walking away from the table she was sitting on.

"Yes?" she hissed.

"Interesting way of picking up your phone," Edward mocked.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize for not being able to get to the park last week. I was pre-occupied at work."

"Well, we stayed on the park for the entire day," she lied. "Danny was anxious to see you."

"Really? That's funny, because I spend two goddamn hours on that playground and you weren't there," he spat.

"You went?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, I did. I don't like being made a fool out of, Isabella. I can call Jasper and have him back on the case in minutes. Don't fuck with me."

"I find this sudden fatherly devotion in you fascinating."

"Get fascinated all you want," he spat. "I want to meet him and he better be there next week."

"Next week? You understand the weekend starts tomorrow?"

"I have to leave Seattle on a business meeting, not that I owe you any explanation."

"Business meeting?" she asked. "Is that how they call a weekend with hookers and booze nowadays?"

"I'm losing my patience here," he said, raising his voice.

"Take a chill pill. I'll see what I can do for next week. It's Halloween on Monday. Danny would like to go trick-or-treating."

Edward was silent and Bella removed her phone from her ear to see if the call was still on, or if he had hung up on her.

"You let him do that?" he asked, softly. He remembered all of the times he begged Esme and Carlisle to buy him a costume to go Trick-or-Treating with, but they always refused him, saying that the Cullen children didn't disgrace themselves this way.

However, Alice was always dressed like a Princess and came home with a basket full of sweets she never shared.

"Oh, screw you, Cullen!" Bella spat, not understanding Edward's question. "He's a child. That's what children do. Do _not_ tell me how to raise him! I was doing a fine job without you."

She snapped the phone shut and took a deep breath, before turning around only to be met with Peter's chest.

"Jesus!" she exclaimed. "I might have to re-think the restraining order."

"Who was that?" Peter asked, cautiously.

"Daniel's father," she responded, looking at his face and searching for some sort of a reaction.

"You said 'Cullen' while you spoke to him. Is he in any way related with Edward Cullen?"

"He _is_ Edward Cullen," she responded. "You know each other?"

Peter gulped and nodded. "Professionally."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, but what kind of a business could a billionaire CEO and a traffic control officer have?"

"Listen, I'll stop by your office tomorrow, so we could finish our conversation then."

"Is everything okay?" Peter's sudden nervousness couldn't be missed from a blind person. His eyes wandered around the cafeteria and he avoided looking at Bella in all costs.

"Yes, of course it is. Why wouldn't it be? I just have some work I need to get done."

"O-okay?"

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and all but ran from the cafeteria.

"Tomorrow's Saturday." She shook her head and walked back to her table to finish her lunch. God be damned if she lost her appetite because of Edward Cullen again.

…

Peter burst into his apartment and strode into his bedroom. He tossed the blankets and the pillows away from his unmade bed and lifted the mattress tossing it aside. A black videotape got exposed, placed in between the wooden posts of the bed.

Breathing heavily, he grabbed the tape and walked to the living room, placing in into the VCR under the television. Even though most of the traffic control panels changed their surveillance tapes to CDs, some still used videocassettes due to the larger memory they had.

Peter played the hit and run he had covered for Edward and punched the wall with his fist. Something told him he would be needing that tape sooner rather than later.

**xxXxx**

**October 29****th****, 2011**

"How about a clown?" Bella asked, holding the door for the closed playground open for Danny.

"No."

She laughed. "A pirate?"

"I'm small, Momma. Piwates awe big and scawy!"

"Hmm," she hummed, wrecking her brain for more ideas of a Halloween costume. The holiday was only two days away and they still haven't decided on what to get dressed as. "What about a vampire?"

"Aghhh," Danny roared, trying to scare his mother.

Bella laughed out loud and lifted Danny from the ground before buclking him up in the toddler appropriate swing. She stepped aside and gently began rocking him back and forth, back and forth, slowly increasing the speed.

"Huwwy, Momma! Up! Up!" Danny squealed.

Bella rolled her eyes, aware that this specific swing can't go much faster, or higher, but she pleased him by adding more force into her movement.

Danny's soft giggles warmed Bella's heart and she fought the urge to pick him up from the swing, bring him to the nearby benches and hug him until they leave.

"Momma?" Danny asked after a few minutes.

"Hmm?"

"Is that Daddy?" He pointed toward the entrance of the closed playground, his finger moving along with his entire body.

Bella turned her eyes in the direction pointed to by her son and indeed saw Edward. He was taking slow, deliberate steps, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dark washed jeans. A black jacket was thrown over his arm and he appeared nervous.

Bella's broke from her trance as Danny started clapping and jumping in the swing.

"Easy, easy! Baby, you're going to hurt yourself!" Bella said, squeezing tightly the chain and effectively stopping the rocking motion of the swing.

She sighed deeply and removed the safety belts around Danny's waist. As soon as he was free he jumped off the swing and ran in Edward's direction.

"Daniel!" Bella yelled, startled by his fast movements.

Edward's eyes were as wide as pancakes as he saw the toddler speeding in his direction. Fighting the instinct to move to the side and avoid the impact with his body, he bend slightly and awkwardly opened his arms to ease the colliding.

Danny jumped in Edward's arms and raised his legs from the ground, bending them in the knees backwards. Seeing no other option, the father lifted him brought him to his left side, letting him sit on his arm and supporting his back with the other hand.

"Daddy," Danny whispered and tucked his head in the crook of Edward's neck.

To the bystanders, Edward and Bella were a typical family out on the playground with their son.

Nobody saw the look of a complete horror on Bella's face, or the scared look in Edward's eyes.

Edward took slow steps toward Bella, tightening his hands around Danny's body. The child's head gently bounced off his father's shoulder, but he made no move to change his position.

Bella found herself once again face-to-face with Edward. They were at arm's length, the only thing separating their bodies from one another was Danny.

"Let him down," Bella mouthed.

Edward glared at her, but did what she asked him to. He tried to remove Danny's arms from around him, but the child held onto him for dear life.

"No," Danny mumbled. "I wan Daddy."

Bella could swear her heart weighted a ton at that moment. She knew Danny wasn't consciously rejecting her, but it still stung more than she imagined it would.

Edward glowed Bella's distress, but he was more than freaked out because of his son's attachment. He didn't know how to be father. He could use Carlisle as an example, of course. Do the contrary of everything Carlisle ever did, but it still wasn't enough.

He wanted to learn, though. And this petrified him.

"Bella," Trish Connolly yelled from the entrance of the playground. She was holding her daughter, Sara with one hand and waving at Bella with the other.

Trish's blonde hair was pulled up in high ponytail and she was dressed like most mothers on the playground: jeans and a baggy t-shirt. Bella always wondered why women stopped taking care of themselves once they gave birth. Bella had never a fashion guru, but she always tried to look as presentable as possible.

As soon as Sara spotted Danny, she blushed and hid behind her mother. The kids were having their first crush which the mothers found hilarious.

Trish walked over to Bella and hugged her quickly, before moving her gaze toward Edward.

"Oh, hello. My name is Trish," she said, extending her hand.

"Edward," he said, eyeing her hand, but not shaking it.

Bella cleared her throat and glared at Edward. "So, how are you T—"

"Are you Danny's father?" Trish asked.

The worst thing about her? She hovered and gossiped. A lot.

"Yes," he spat.

"I thought you were a single mother?" Trish asked, looking at Bella.

"I am. He had just recently started writing the checks."

Even though they still haven't signed any contracts stating that Danny can't demand money from his father once he grew up, Edward made sure to send Bella a weekly check with alimony.

Ten grand each.

Bella never cashed them, but didn't return them either. She wondered if she should put them away as Danny's college fund, but thought against it. She was doing fine without Edward Cullen's money before.

Bella started talking before Trish could demand more information. "Can you please take DJ and Sara to the sandbox? I have to speak with Edward for a moment."

"Uh … sure." It was obvious she wanted to know more, but she bit her tongue. Danny mumbled angrily when Bella took him away from Edward, but his eyes shone like diamonds as soon as he saw Sara.

Once the children were out of earshot, Bella turned back and looked at Edward.

"What happened with your business trip?" she asked.

"I lied. I learned from the best. Apparently the only way I could see my son is if I do it."

"I don't get it. I really don't. Less than a month ago you regretted not knowing about him in order to I quote, 'take care of him' and now you're up for Father of The Year."

"I didn't know him—"

"And now you do?" she snapped.

"You know, you're making it really goddamn hard to be civil with you."

"Don't be. I don't give a damn about you. Just be careful. This little boy right there," She pointed toward Danny. "Thinks you're some sort of superhero. Fuck with him and I will kill you. And trust me you do not want to mess with an angry mother protecting her child."

Bella turned and walked to the bench near the fence, opening a book. She ignored Edward for a few minutes, before looking up to see him.

He was already gone.


	16. And Then She Trusted Him

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __She Trusted Him_

It's been over a month since Edward decided to be a father figure in Danny's life. He called, demanded to see him and spend a lot of time with him. Danny loved his father. Bella knew it and Edward knew it, but neither of them pointed toward the fact. Edward was trying hard, but Bella never let her guard down. Each meeting he had with Danny was supervised by her, or Lucy, if she was too swamped up at work.

Even though they had agreed that custody trial would not be needed, Bella still slept with one eye open, anticipating Edward's move. Almost each visit the duo had ended with a fight. Sometimes it was snarky remarks from Bella's part about the sudden fatherly devotion in Edward which fueled his anger, or it was something he did and she didn't appreciate.

Edward kept demanding that Danny should spend the night with him since he had a perfectly furnished room ready for him collecting dust, but Bella always refused. Edward thought it would be a good idea if she came herself and checked the room, just to make sure everything would be fine.

After a very colorfully worded fight, she finally succumbed. Bella refused to ride along with Edward, so he was left with no other choice but to give her his address. It wasn't a surprise for Bella that he lived in one of the most expensive part of downtown Seattle.

Bella and Danny's residential area was also a reason for a conflict. After he had put Danny to sleep — the one and only time Bella allowed it — Edward had suggested he bought Bella a bigger apartment in a more secure part of town, in a building with a doorman. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Bella turned green and screamed at him she was doing fine on her own and could stick his money where the sun doesn't shine.

It was one of those times Edward couldn't keep it to himself, no matter how much he backslid on other topics. The fight that followed had woken up Danny who came crying into the living room, clutching his teddy bear. At first neither Bella nor Edward saw him, but as soon as his sobs broke through their yells, both of them looked at the weeping child near the open door.

Edward all but pushed Bella out of the way and ran in Danny's direction, hugging him and shushing his cries. The father refused to let go of his son, until he was back asleep, going as far as lying on Bella's bed with Danny in his arms. Bella stayed quiet, her eyes downcast during the entire time.

Danny fell asleep and Edward left the room with Bella on his heels. They stayed quiet: Bella looking out the window and Edward staring in his hands.

As the minutes passed the tension between them thickened and Bella decided to play it safe. She moved pass him and opened the door to her apartment, silently kicking him out.

Edward wasn't allowed inside or near her apartment after that accident.

The day in which Bella finally decided to pay the billionaire's penthouse a visit was also the day their biggest scandal so far happened. Bella was tired, coming to check the room he had made for their son after a hard work day. She was moody and snippy, just waiting for Edward to fuck something up.

To her annoyance, Edward was happy. He had finally finished a deal with a huge company overseas and felt more than accomplished. He had forgotten to tell the doorman in his building he was expecting company and since this wasn't a frequency, Bella had been stopped from going up, until Edward allowed access.

When he did Bella had been waiting for more than fifteen minutes. She was fuming as she made her way upstairs, but didn't say anything. Edward didn't apologize either.

He never apologized for anything he did.

He closed the door behind her and stayed on his place. Bella took in the entire penthouse and unwanted rush of sadness overwhelmed her. Once again Bella faced the reality — money can't buy you happiness.

The penthouse was big, enormous even. The walls were painted in a light shade of beige and the furniture were a stylish mix of grays, browns and blacks. The premises screamed bachelor, one with a drinking problem she'd say once her eyes landed on the overfilled wet bar near the bookcase.

"The alcohol needs to disappear. Danny may be short and small, but he's very curious. I don't want him to drink something on accident." She turned to look at Edward, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't care how you poison yourself — hell, if you find something to kill you faster, I'd support you — but don't even think about drinking, or being drunk in my son's presence."

"What kind of father do you think I am?" he spat.

"None existent."

Edward huffed. He had learned the painful way Bella was a last word freak. She couldn't let stuff go and she threw temper tantrums more often than she smiled.

Not that he ever saw her smile to anything or anyone besides Daniel.

"Where is the room?" she asked.

"Down the hall and to the right; it has its own bathroom."

"You know you can't buy his love, right?" she asked, venom sipping through every word that left her mouth.

Edward threw his hands in the air and shook his head. "Will you stop it? I can't do anything right! What the hell if your goddamned problem? All I have been doing recently is kissing your ass and biting my tongue. The least you can do it fucking appreciate it."

"Excuse me?" she hissed.

"Nothing. Forget it. Go see the room! I'll stay out of your way."

Bella narrowed her eyes at him, before walking toward the room her had pointed out to her. The first thing she saw was that the door was not in the same dark shade of brown as the others; it was painted in whine with some soft green lines around the corners.

Looking behind her to see if she's still alone, she pressed the golden handle on the door and opened it. A gasp left her mouth when she first saw the spacious room in front of her. The pale green walls that matched the lines on the door gave the room a child-like look, despite the grown up furniture.

One of the walls in the room was entirely replaced by floor to ceiling windows covered in pure white satin curtains, which were gathered at the ends of the window and tied in the middle with a green bow.

Bella was speechless. The room lacked nothing; it was just as good for a toddler as it was for a grown up child. She was amazed by the room he had created. It was the only premises in this outrageously big penthouse that didn't look sterile; only unlived in.

Realization struck her like a lightening then.

Everything had changed.

"So," Edward said from the door, startling Bella. "Did it pass inspection?"

"You know he can't yet sleep in a double bed, do you? The crib at home—"

"At your apartment," Edward corrected, feeling the sadness overwhelming him when she said "home."

Bella scoffed and waved him off. "Is a little small for him, but I'm not confident enough to let him have his own bed."

Edward laughed. "Like you have the space in that closet you call a bedroom to add a bed. It's already stuffed up to the maximum."

"Stop insulting the way I live," she warned.

"Stop making my son live like a slob!" he said, raising his voice. "Do you have any idea what your stubbornness is doing to him right now? I told you I would buy you an apartment — which I assured you it would be yours only and I would have no ownership whatsoever — and you just screamed at me.

"I'm trying," he breathed. "I don't have any experience in being a father, or a good person in that matter. It takes everything in me not to throw you out of here by the hair right now."

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "It's not easy. I feel like I'm messing everything up. I would love nothing more than to have all rights on Danny and to never get to deal with your nagging ass again. However, I don't do it. Do you understand how easy it would be for me to have him? You were right, my money can buy me whatever I want. It was my good graces that make you stand here right now and not in front of a judge. Fucking appreciate it."

Bella stayed silent during his ramblings, not really caring what he's saying. She knew no matter what he did, said or showed, no matter how hard he tried it would never me enough. Perhaps she was too hard on him, she didn't have a way of knowing, but what she was sure of, was that he would never be able to redeem himself in her eyes.

Nothing could erase the night of Danny's conception. The harsh words he said, the ungentle touches and the treatment he gave her she did nothing to deserve. His actions couldn't fix her broken world, how she fought to be a mother and a student at the same time. The words he said were unable to make her trust him.

Oh, how little he knew of the world.

Taking a deep breath Bella began, "Once upon a time an elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the frontier key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you." If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well."

"Why are you telling me this?" Edward asked, stopping her story.

"Because this is our live — not yours and not mine; surely not ours — this is the live us people live. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.

"Maybe you don't regret the past, maybe you think what you did was right," Bella said, coming closer to him. "Edward, the night I met you was the worst and the best of my life. If someone were to tell me that I could go back and do things differently, if I could go back to that party and slap you in the face like I had to and not go into that room with you, I wouldn't do it.

"That night gave me my son. Do I regret the way he was conceived? Of course! Do you really think that I wouldn't prefer my first sexual experience to be gentle and loving, rather than painful and humiliating?"

Something flashed in Edward's eyes but Bella couldn't see what it was.

"Nothing you do can change my mind that you're a better person, Edward. Nothing! I allowed you in Danny's life just because there is a part of me that thinks this little boy can have some sort of support from your side. Don't confuse the two things.

"I never wanted your money and I don't want you to take care of me," she chuckled darkly and then continued, "There was this one thing I wanted from you. It was years ago, the day I met you. Trust me, it wasn't what I got."

Bella patted him on the chest and walked past him and toward the door. She was stopped when his hand gripped her elbow gently. She didn't turn to look at him and didn't turn back. He walked forward and stayed in front of her, asking with voice void of emotion, "What did you want?"

"Nothing worth sharing with you."

He nodded and pressed his back to the wall, silently making her more room to leave. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked away.

"When can I have Daniel staying with me?" Edward asked.

Bella laughed. "I never said you could have him stay here. I just came to see the room as I promised."

She was out of the door before he could say another word.

**xxXxx**

Vicky raised her fingers to her mouth and blew on her nails, making her nail polish dry faster, while the manicurist was painting the nails on her other hand.

"So live your life," she sang. "Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh."

"Oh, no. Please shut up," Bella mumbled, unable to open her mouth to actually yell at her due to the facial mask she had on.

It was a Saturday morning and the girls had finally decided they needed some beauty time. Laurent had suggested he's drive them, but when Vicky explained where exactly they were going he quickly declined his offer.

Every man loved a beautiful woman, but no man wanted to see them become beautiful.

Emmett had agreed to spend the morning with Danny, since he had to go back to Boston later the same day. He had taken more vacation time than he intended, so it was time for him to go back to work. His relationship with Rosalie had been none existent. When Bella freed Rosalie from her services, the latter went back home with the tail between her legs.

Bella had been so pissed when she found out Rosalie let the cat out of the bag to Jacob, she stopped all contact with her. Rosalie claimed she did it out of good heart, but since Jake hadn't taken any of Bella's calls after their conversation, Bella couldn't care less about Rosalie's intentions.

"How's my little man?" Vicky asked, looking toward the chair Bella was lying on.

"Good. He's with Emmett," she said, barely understandable.

"Ugh, I don't understand anything from that mask," Vicky complained.

"We need to wash it off," the cosmetician said. "Lean your head back, please."

The woman took a soft, white, fluffy towel and dipped it in hot water. She squeezed the unnecessary amount of liquid back to the little basin and gently started to remove the green mask from Bella's face.

As soon as Bella couldn't feel her skin as tight as anything, she removed the two slices of cucumber she had on her eyes and continued talking to Vicky.

"Emmett is going back to Boston tonight and he wanted to take Danny out for the morning. It worked out good, since Lucy is away for the weekend and I have no one to look after him."

"Why don't you leave him with Edward?" Vicky asked, pushing the office chair she was sitting on in Bella's direction and stealing one of her cucumbers. She bit half of it and started chewing earning a gagging sound from Bella.

"That's gross," she commented on Vicky's snack. "Plus, there's no way I'm leaving Danny alone with Edward."

"B. he's not going to do anything to the little guy. You said it yourself, he's been great so far. Why don't you give him a chance?"

Bella tossed the other cucumber she had in her hand in the basin with hot water before Vicky could eat it. "I'm never going to trust him, Vicky."

Vicky groaned and walked to the lying chain next to Bella's. She tilted her head back and let the cosmetician wash her hair. With her eyes closed she said, "I think you're being a bitch. I know he's a dick, but he's been wonderful with Dan-Bam."

"Dan-Bam?"

"Uh-huh. I'm working on a new nickname," she chuckled. "Back on topic, you need to cut Cullen some slack."

"No, I don't. He made his bed, now he has to lie in it."

"Oh, come on, Bella. People change. The fact that we're here in the first place proves it."

Vicky was right. The reason the girls were having Spa procedures the entire morning was because Bella had finally agreed to go on a date with Peter Summers. He had been overly persistent in the past month, so she finally agreed on a dinner and a movie.

As soon as Bella shared the news with Vicky, she screeched and offered to watch Danny while Bella got out. Even though Peter wasn't picking Bella up for another six hours, the girls decided to have their hair, makeup and nails fixed early and have time to go shopping for a dress and shoes.

At first Bella declined, saying it was well into November and a dress would not be necessary, but as soon as Vicky told her about a vintage dress store she frequently shopped at (where the clothes were half-prized) Bella agreed.

Vicky had her nails painted bloody red, while Bella decided on more artistic look. She got her nails French manicured with yellow and had some yellow and white daisies drawn over them.

"It's not the same—" Bella tried to explain, but Vicky changed the subject.

"I'm thinking of getting my hair straightened with a lot of volume in the roots. What do you think?"

Bella rolled her eyes and leaned back on the chair to have her own hair washed.

**xxXxx**

"Come on, pick up, pick up!" Bella chanted, pressing the speakerphone button of her cell, while she placed her earring though the hole of her ear.

Vicky had called her in distress only minutes ago, telling her that Laurent had the worst cold possible and she couldn't watch Danny. Emmett had left hours prior, Lucy was out of town and Bella was left with no other option, but to tell Peter their date would need to be rescheduled.

"_This is Peter. Please leave a message and I'll get back at you."_

"Damn it!" Bella said, pressing the red button on her cell phone.

Bella knew she had another option, but she was tried hard to be her last resort. She'd much rather miss her date, than let Danny unsupervised with Edward.

She sighed and met her reflection in the mirror she was standing in front of. Her eyes looked bigger and somewhat sexier with the smokey makeup she had on. Her hair was curled in big waves and her royal blue dress clung to her like a second skin.

She was ready to go out, she was just looking for a reason not to. With a groan, she picked the cell phone from the bed next to her and dialed Edward.

…

"Daddy!" Danny screamed, colliding with Edward's legs before Edward could open the door entirely.

"Jesus," he said, supporting Danny's back with his hand, before he kneeled down and ruffled his hair. "Hey, kid."

"Momma say I get to sweep hehre!"

"Yeah, you do! Come here." Edward picked him up and walked with him to his room, leaving Bella at the door. She could walk in if she wanted, he sure as hell wouldn't beg her to come.

As soon as Danny saw his room he ran inside and started looking through everything he could see. Edward chuckled and walked back to the living room, leaving Danny's room door open in case he needed something.

He found Bella at the door and his eyes opened significantly taking in her appearance. Her hair was pushed behind her shoulders and the strapless dress she wore, pushed her breasts up and revealed her ivory skinned collarbones.

His eyes travelled down to her emphasized waist and down her hips. The high heels she wore, make her backside look squeezable.

"My eyes are up here!" Bella snapped her fingers in front of Edward's face, distracting him from the gaze he had on her breasts.

His eyebrow rose as he took in her appearance from head to toe, and tried to keep his comments to himself. Despite the fact he literary bit his tongue, he couldn't stop the words that escaped his mouth.

"Going to work? Make sure to stay on the corner of 4th Street. The biggest clientele is there."

"Don't make grab my kid and hightail out of here!"

"Correction — our kid," Edward hissed, stepping impossibly closer to Bella and pinning her against the wall. "I've been a very, very good man so far. I'm sick of your constant threats!"

He put both of his hands flat on the wall on both sides of Bella's face, before leaning down. Her breaths were warming his lips and he unconsciously moisturized them with his tongue.

Neither of them moved and neither moved their gaze from the other. Bella was afraid to even blink, but she kept shooting daggers toward Edward.

A lazy smile appeared on Bella's lips and she pushed herself inches away from the wall. She was in such close proximity to Edward, that the little movement caused her body to press to his entirely. Her head was the last to push forward, but when it did their lips almost brushed.

She moved slowly, her lips barely touching the skin on his cheek, before she pressed them to the shell of his ear and breathed, "Thanks for looking after Daniel tonight. I need to go have sex now."

Edward grabbed her hips and pinned her to place. Having his own lips near her ear he said, "Use a condom. Diseases are a bitch."

"You'd know," she said, pushing him away from her. She walked to the couch near the door and grabbed her ankles-long trench coat from the back of the couch and put it on.

"Danny," she called. The boy came running at her seconds later. "Momma is leaving. Be a good boy and listen to Daddy, okay? If you get sad tell Daddy and he'll call me immediately."

"Mkay." Danny gave Bella a sloppy kiss on the cheek before he ran back to his room.

Watching Danny run away from him, he didn't see Bella's departure.

**xxXxx**

Edward was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had put Danny to sleep hours ago, but he couldn't find the same peace in sleep as his son did. No matter how hard he tried to make sleep come, he couldn't. There was something bothering him, but he couldn't put his finger on.

Even though she left hours before, Edward couldn't get the image of Bella from his head. There was something incredibly sexy in the way she looked, but at the same time, it wasn't something that appealed to him. She looked way too different, almost wrong.

She looked like she did on the day he met her.

He shook his head before his thoughts could even go in that direction. Bella had given him way too much things to think about with their last conversation already, he didn't need to push his thoughts there any further.

Edward had left his bedroom door open, as well as the one in Danny's room just in case the boy needed him. A cry made him jump from the bed and he immediately lit the bedside lamp near his head.

"Daddy, I'm scawed," Danny sobbed, whipping the tears from his face.

Edward sighed and stood up from the bed, walking toward his son and picking him up.

"Let's both go sleep in your room, then shall we?"

Danny pressed his tear-stained cheek to Edward's neck and clung to him like a life safer.

"What's bothering you?" Edward asked, putting Danny down to the floor before pulling the covers on the double bed. He picked his son up again and helped him lie down, tucking him in under the covers, before going to the other side of the bed and lying next to him.

Danny grabbed Edward's hand and placed his head in his father's open palm. He always did this with Bella, it was his way of falling asleep.

"I mish Momma," he mumbled, his eyes closed.

"I know Mommy's not here," Edward said. "She'll be here soon."

"Phomise?"

Edward chuckled. "I promise. Go back to sleep."

"G'night, Daddy. I lof you."

Edward swallowed and clenched his eyes shut. "I love you, too."

As the minutes passed, Danny fell asleep. Edward was lying next to Danny with a smile on his face. He couldn't believe his son was spending the night with him. He couldn't stop the feeling of success he felt. Was it because Bella trusted him, or simply because he finally got to spent some alone time with his boy, he couldn't know.

All he knew was that nothing could break his good mood at that moment.

_Ding-dong._

Furrowing his eyebrows, Edward looked at the wrist watch he had on his hand and saw it was way after midnight. He walked toward the front door and opened it widely.

In a second he was outside, picking up the beaten woman from the floor.

"Edward," she chocked, pressing her forehead to his chest.

"Fuck," he mumbled, caressing the back of her head and feeling the warm red liquid all over his palm.


	17. And Then She Helped Him

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M (NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

**WARNING:**_ This chapter may be offensive for some readers. Involves domestic violence, blackmail and assault._

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __She Helped Him_

Elizabeth Masen took a sip from the porcelain cup filled with tea before she placed it back on the matching small plate. Her fingers smoothed back the hairs that had escaped her stylish bun.

Her eyes flickered to the entrance of the coffee shop for the hundredth time since she'd been seated, only to see that the person entering was not James Jenks. Elizabeth sighed and opened a book to pass the time. It had been more than a month since she last spoke with the private investigator she hired to do a background check on Edward Cullen. She hoped her eyes were misleading her, that this boy was not the result of her husband's infidelity. However, against all positive thoughts she _knew_.

As they did every time she thought about Edward Cullen, unwanted memories crashed down on her like a wave hits the shore. The image of her husband fucking _her_ against the wall was not something one could easily erase.

Especially since their infidelity was displayed during the all-white party celebrating Elizabeth and Edward's five year anniversary.

* * *

**April**** 12th, 1986**

_Edward Masen grabbed his wife's hand gently and raised it above both their heads, leaving her in the spotlight to turn and be looked at from every direction. The proud smile on his face and the look of adoration he gave Elizabeth made many women envious._

_Elizabeth was smiling widely. Her red-painted lips looked fuller than they were and the white dress she had on complimented her tan perfectly. Her young blue eyes sparkled every time her husband tightened his arms on her protectively, securely._

_She couldn't believe five years have passed; five wonderful, amazing and love-filled years._

"_I love you," she whispered to him and laid her head on his broad shoulder._

"_I love you, too!" he replied. _

_The party was going great. Edward made sure Elizabeth was the center of attention during the entire night. He proposed a toast and recited a love poem he had written for her, which brought tears to her eyes._

_Even though the party started hours ago, people were still arriving to share their congratulations with the happy couple. The Masens were a loved and well-respected family and their devotion to each other was set as an example to many._

_Edward was kissing his wife's subtle lips when someone cleared their throat close to the couple. Both Elizabeth and Edward looked up to see who the intruder of their love-filled bubble was, only to find themselves face-to-face with Esme and Carlisle Cullen._

_Esme and Carlisle Cullen had not been married long. Their overly extravagant wedding had taken place only months ago. The saddest part was that it was not a marriage full of love, but a necessary one. Esme had fallen pregnant with Carlisle's child which led to a wedding almost a month after she missed her period._

"_Edward," Esme purred, highly inappropriately for a woman holding her husband's hand. "Elizabeth," she finished with a clipped tone._

_Elizabeth smiled widely and slipped her arm from Edward's, just to wrap Esme in a hug._

"_Thank you for coming," she said politely. Letting go of Esme she smiled widely at Carlisle, who took her hand and kissed her knuckles gently. _

"_You look beautiful, Elizabeth," he said and offered her his hand, stealing her away for a dance._

_She turned to say goodbye to Edward only to find him speaking quietly in Esme's ear, which looked to be a threat. She didn't have time to think it through as Carlisle spun her around the dance floor in smooth, perfect movements._

_Elizabeth and Carlisle laughed, danced and drank champagne, but Elizabeth couldn't help but search with her eyes for her husband. She last saw him with Esme and quite some time had passed since them. She excused herself from Carlisle's company, congratulating him on his wife's pregnancy again, before she wandered around the gardens of the Masen mansion, searching for him._

"_Elizabeth," she heard someone yell her name after her. She turned around to see Carlisle — looking dashing in his white tuxedo — running toward her. "Where did you disappear to?"_

_She ran her palms up and down her arms, trying to warm them since the weather had become quite chilly lately. "I was just looking for Edward."_

"_Oh," Carlisle said, shrugging off his blazer as he wrapped it around Elizabeth's shoulders. "It seems I have lost my wife as well. Do you mind looking for them together?"_

"_Uh, of course not," she replied. "Albeit I don't think they're together."_

_Carlisle shrugged. "We can use each other's company."_

_Elizabeth laughed as Carlisle offered her his arm. She linked it with his, curling her fingers around the crook of his elbow as they walked around the mansion. Their walk wasn't long and soon they heard gasps and moans coming from behind the corner of the huge rock wall._

"_Oh, Edward," they heard Esme gasp._

_Carlisle uncurled Elizabeth's fingers from his arm and sped in front of her. Grabbing the skirts of her chiffon dress, Elizabeth jogged after him, catching up only to find her husband, her Edward, fisting Esme's skirt on the small of her back as he pounded into her from behind. Esme's pregnant stomach was entirely bare and her breasts were barely covered by the satin material of her dress._

_A loud growl came from Carlisle and he launched himself forward and pushed Edward forcefully away from his wife. Esme screamed in horror as Edward's cock painfully left her, but yelled even louder when she saw her husband hitting her lover. _

_Elizabeth's hand flew to her mouth and her eyes watered with unshed tears. Her heart felt like it weighted a ton at that moment. She couldn't blink, couldn't think, all she could do was feel._

_And love was certainly not what she felt in that moment._

* * *

"Mrs. Masen?" James Jenks said, waving his hand in front of her face and trying to bring her back to reality.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present and smiled warmly at the PI. She motioned him to sit and waited until he placed his order and set the documents he brought on the table. As per usual, he handed her a brown folder and opened a matching one himself.

"Mrs. Masen," James started. "I'm known as being loyal to my clients, but I feel it's necessary for me to share this piece of information with you."

She nodded, allowing him to continue. "I know Mr. Cullen personally. We've worked together on several occasions, all business-like. We don't have any personal relations, but I know with absolute certainty that Carlisle Cullen is not Edward's biological father."

Elizabeth's breath hitched and she blinked repeatedly trying to stop the stinging in her eyes.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I never start business relations with anyone before I do a background check on them. I need to know who I'm dealing with, if you understand. When I was first approached by Mr. Cullen, his attitude was less than … let's say acceptable. Had it not been for the thick roll of cash he threw in my direction, I wouldn't have dealt with someone like him.

"Mrs. Masen, Edward Cullen's past was one from a horror movie. Although most of the information I found was covered up, my sources helped me uncover some facts about Edward. There were many injuries on his body while growing up, all consistent with child abuse. He had been arrested twice for assault and vandalism and had served hours upon hours of community service."

Elizabeth's heart broke for Edward, but she needed to know more. "How did he get involved with Bella?"

James met Elizabeth's eyes and shook his head. "This is not what I've been hired for and I'm sorry, but my knowledge only goes so far," he lied.

Elizabeth rested her elbows on the table and rubbed her temples with her fingers. "My God," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Masen."

Elizabeth looked up and smiled sadly at James, placing her hand over his. "Me too, James. Me too."

**xxXxx**

"I'm Judge Charlotte Cullen. This is my court. When you swear to God to tell the truth, you look at my face, because in this court room I may not actually be God, but I sure as hell am the next best thing. I shall not hesitate to remove anyone from this room, even for the slightest of reasons. Miss Julian, begin with your opening statements."

The case of the people against the Volturi had been in and out of court rooms for years. The Italian family had been used to buy their freedom and before now, they were never prosecuted. Charlotte took the case, because she was sick of corruption. The jury on the stands were honest people, Charlotte was sure of that and the prosecutor was a fierce woman that stopped to nothing.

Charlotte listened as witnesses came up to the stand, swearing with their hand placed over the Holy Bible and witnessed the tears of the people who had lost a loved one because of Volturi's actions.

As the defense lawyer tried to point the suspicion in other direction, Charlotte spoke up.

"I'll review your statement in my chambers. If you don't have solid evidence linking the murder weapon to Mr. Mazzarti, the jury will be deciding upon a sentence against Felix Volturi."

She hit the wooden desk with her gavel and dismissed the courtroom, silently exiting. This case had taken most of her time and energy and she put heart and soul in it. She was so sick of people constantly using their money and power to avoid punishments for their wrong doings.

Exactly like her cousin.

The corridor leading to her chambers was long and lonely. The only sound echoing in between the walls was the constant clicking of her heels. As she neared the door to her office, the lights suddenly went off and she was pushed forcefully into a wall next to the door pane. Her scream was muffled by a hand covering her mouth as a sharp blade pressed to her neck, almost breaking the skin.

"Be careful!" someone hissed into her ear, before hitting her into the stomach. She doubled over and fell on her knees, clutching her stomach as she had the wind knocked out of her.

She remained on the floor as she heard her attacker running away.

**xxXxx**

Rosalie Hale raised her cell phone to her eye level and checked the time again. It's been four hours since she slid down the wall next to Emmett's apartment and decided to wait for him. She pinched the useless golden key in between her thumb and forefinger and tried to keep her tears at bay.

He had changed the lock to his apartment.

She knew she screwed up. She knew what she did was unforgivable, but she still wanted to be heard.

Her fingers touched her stomach and she let a small smile dance on her lips. The white plastic stick was still in the closed package she bought it in, but she knew. She knew she was going to be a mother. Her period was late and she was feeling sick in the mornings, even though she never actually emptied her stomach. She lost weight, but she knew it was a result of the stress she was under.

The elevator doors opened and she sucked in a deep breath. It was Emmett; no one else had the permission to use the elevator to this floor, but him. His heavy steps shook the floor she was sitting on. She made no move to look up and meet his face, but she knew he was next to her, because she saw the outstretched hand he offered, helping her up.

Rosalie was more than happy to accept his help, enjoying even the slightest friction of feeling him again. She loved him so much more than words could describe.

And given recent revelations, she couldn't show it either.

"What are you doing here, Rosalie?" he asked, sighing.

"We need to talk."

"We have nothing to tell each other. Rose," Emmett said and let out a laugh. "You fucking cheated on me twice with the same lowlife. Don't you understand? It's not about the sex you had with him — you obviously love him!"

"No," Rosalie squealed. "I only love you! Please, baby! You know you're the only man I ever loved. You know you're my everything."

"It's not going to happen, Rose," Emmett sighed. He dug the key to unlock his apartment and turned back to Rosalie as soon as he unlocked. "You should go. Move on with your life, or I don't know, fucking go back to Cullen and live together. I don't know. We're over!"

He stepped inside, but before he could close the door, Rosalie yelled, "I think I'm pregnant!"

**xxXxx**

Esme Cullen tossed her high-heeled red pumps on the wooden floor and placed her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the half-filled glass with scotch in her husband's hand.

"We're supposed to be in the hospital," she hissed and looked at her watch. "Twenty minutes ago."

"So?" he asked and took another sip from the amber liquid.

"So? It's a hospital benefit and we have to be there!"

"No, I have to be there. You can do whatever the hell you want to do."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Carlisle!" she yelled. "Grow up!"

Carlisle placed his glass on the table and slowly stood up from the recliner he was sitting on. With slow steps, he walked to the big mirror next to the wet bar and fixed his bow tie. He straightened his blazer and walked back to where Esme was standing.

Her satin red dress looked modest, yet sexy. Her makeup and hair were perfect and he knew that as soon as they stepped foot out of the house, she would cling on his arm and lavish him with attention. Everyone at the hospital benefit would think how lucky he was to have a wife in her mid-forties who still looks like a supermodel.

"Do you know what day is it?" he asked.

"Yeah, Sunday. Did I pass the test?"

"It's Alice's birthday. Also the day we got married."

"Alice is somewhere in Seattle, probably wanting money from Edward. And that scheme you call a marriage is hardly a reason for celebration."

He grabbed her hair roughly close to the roots and pulled, making her arch her back. She gasped in pain as his grip tightened and he spat venom in her face.

"If I hadn't married your used and whorish being, I could've been happier. I would have woken up with a smile and enjoy my children, and not wonder if they're even mine!"

He grabbed her shoulders with his free hand and threw her body on the floor. Esme fell on her side and cried.

Carlisle stepped over her body and fixed his tuxedo. "People at the hospital will be sorry to hear about your cold. Make yourself look sick. God knows you're mental, so it won't be a hard task."

As he opened the door, Esme yelled, "Elizabeth Masen can't have children, so your dream is useless!"

He stopped walking and without turning answered, "At least I would have loved her and she would have loved me, too."

He was out of the door before Esme could pick herself up from the floor.

**xxXxx**

"Oh, God!"

"Fuck, fuck," Jacob panted.

His muscular arms curled around Vanessa's body and brought her closer to his chest. His lips searched for hers, missing her mouth several times and landing on random places all over her face and neck.

His hips moved up furiously, one of his hands stroking down her back until it cupped her firm backside. He kneaded roughly on the flesh and groaned when he felt Vanessa's walls gripping his cock tightly.

"Fuck, Jake," she moaned and let her eyelids fluttered as the intensity of her orgasm overwhelmed her. Jacob thrust inside of her harder and faster than before, finding his own release only seconds after her.

Nessie collapsed on top of him and laid her head on his sweaty shoulder. Breathing hardly, he wrapped his arms around her slim body again and rested his cheek on top of her head.

"You should talk to Bella," she breathed.

"Damn it, woman. I just fucked your brains out. How the hell do you remember what we fought about?"

"Jake," she accused. "When has sex ever distracted me? You're amazing, baby, but I'm a stubborn bitch."

"I don't want to talk to her."

"You have to. Come on, you're acting childish."

"You don't understand, Ness. She _should have_ told me."

"And what would you have done if she did?"

"I would've gone there and kicked his ass like I should have done all those years ago. He all but raped her, Ness."

Vanessa groaned. "Okay, first of all — he didn't rape her. Were you not present during all of the conversations I had with her on this topic? She wanted it, the fact that he was a rough motherfucker was just unfortunate. What if he had been all sweet and caring and then kicked her out again? She never said no. She doesn't think its nonconsensual sex, why do you?

"Second," she said, interrupting Jacob. "Do you really think she needs a bodyguard all the time? Get off your high horse, Jake. Women are entirely capable of being as good as, _and _even better than men. Fucking sexist."

She collected the sheets covering them and slipped out of the bed, walking toward the bathroom and closing the door forcefully behind her. During the entire scene Jacob just started wide-eyed at the ceiling.

"I can't believe she just gave me the feminist speech." He whispered slipping out of the bed and walked to the bathroom, knowing he had to do some damage control.

**xxXxx**

Alice Cullen held the collar of her black jacket near her throat, protecting herself from the coldness of Seattle. The case full of money weighed more than half her body mass and it tired her to carry it around for so long. Her eyes read all of the street signs attached to the buildings until she finally found the one she wanted.

_Stephenson Street._

She walked into the first side alley and stopped, placing the black leather case on the pavement by her feet.

"Brandie Sexx," someone said behind her.

Alice straightened her back and froze on spot. "It's Alice," she corrected.

"I know," the man said. "Alice Cullen, sister of the _billionaire_ Edward Cullen and daughter of the _well-respected _plastic surgeon Carlisle Cullen."

The mans hands touched her shoulders and Alice tensed. Sneaking his way in front of her, he unzipped her jacket and let it fall on the ground. Her thin turtleneck shirt did nothing to protect her from the coldness of the November night in Seattle. Her nipples hardened and she hated herself for not putting a bra on in her haste of getting there faster.

The man groaned and cupped her breasts and Alice started crying. The man turned her to face him, but she was unable to see him due to the black ski mask he had on.

"Why the fuck are you crying?" he spat.

"Give me the tape," she hissed.

"You're not in a position to bark orders, Brandie. Do you have any idea what I could do with a tape like this?" he asked.

"I'm giving you two million dollars. I want my tape!"

"I think Im going to reconsider, Brandie. You're way too flexible and fucking hot. I never had a shorty like you gangbanged from seven different men at once. The fact you're famous just adds to the mix."

"I didn't know I was being taped!" she yelled.

The man backslapped her across the face and she fell to the ground. "Don't raise your fucking voice at me, whore. You'll do what I tell you to, or your brother dear will pay a way more significant sum than two million dollars."

"I'm not doing shit!" she spat.

"Oh, yeah, you will! There is a van parked right outside of the alley. You'll get in there and you'll strip. You will open your legs and wait with your used cunt for my boys to climb in and fuck you. I will personally tape the entire fucking thing. We'll sign the contract in the morning and you'll become the next Lisa Ann."

"I'm not a fucking porn star."

"You're a whore. What's the difference if you're being taped or not?"

"Give me the tape and get your fucking money. You'll get nothing from me!"

The man grabbed her by her shirt and connected his fist with her face. He kicked her repeatedly in the stomach and her back, before grabbing her by the hair and tossing her in the direction of the rock wall next to him. She hit the back of her head and fell unconscious on the alley.

The man panicked and grabbed the case she was holding, running out of the alley and getting into the van, urging the people inside to hurry and get out of the scene.

Alice stayed there for more than two hours before she woke up. In her haze to get out of there, she knew there was only one place she could go to.

Edward's penthouse.

…

As the minutes passed, Danny fell asleep. Edward was lying next to Danny with a smile on his face. He couldn't believe his son was spending the night with him. He couldn't stop the feeling of success he felt. Was it because Bella trusted him, or simply because he finally got to spent some alone time with his boy, he couldn't know.

All he knew was that nothing could break his good mood at that moment.

_Ding-dong._

Furrowing his eyebrows, Edward looked at the wrist watch he had on and saw it was way after midnight. He walked toward the front door and opened it widely.

In a second, he was outside, picking up the beaten woman from the floor.

"Edward," she chocked, pressing her forehead to his chest.

"Fuck," he mumbled, caressing the back of her head and feeling the warm red liquid all over his palm.

"Alice what the hell happened," he asked, pressing the wound on the back of her head.

"Please," she sobbed.

Edward lifted his sister's body from the ground and gently laid her on the couch in his living room. He walked back to the front door and saw the bloody stain Alice had left on the floor and made a mental note to make sure he cleaned up before Danny could see it.

Panicking about his son, he sprinted toward his room and saw he saw sleeping peacefully. Remembering what Bella did when he put him to sleep, he grabbed two pillows and placed them on each side of his body to prevent him from falling on the ground.

Edward returned back to Alice and saw her crying and clutching her stomach.

"What the fuck happened, Alice," he asked, touching her pulse point. He groaned and shook his head, because he had no idea how to measure a pulse or take care of a badly beaten woman.

Groaning and coughing, Alice tried to tell Edward everything, but without luck. He was on the verge of losing his mind, when he grabbed his phone and dialed 911.

"What are you doing?" Alice breathed in pain.

"Calling an ambulance, what do you think I'm doing? Why the hell didn't the doorman call one for you when he saw the condition you were in?" he spat.

"He wasn't there. Edward, please don't call an ambulance. They'll want to know what happened and I can't speak about it!"

"I have to do something! You'll bleed out on my couch!"

"Please," she cried.

Edward wrecked his brain and wondered who would help him up in a situation as this one. One name only ran through his mind.

"Fuck it," he said.

**xxXxx**

"I had a really great time," Bella said, looking down at the small bouquet of yellow flowers Peter had given him.

He smiled crookedly and leaned sideways at the wall next to Bella's door. "So…"

"I'm not inviting you in," she said, laughing.

"Well, now I'm hurt," he mocked.

They spend the awkward moment in which they looked into each other's eyes, right before the kiss. Bella's tongue ran down her bottom lip, moisturizing it, before she placed one of her hands on Peter's shoulder.

They lips almost brushed when Bella felt her phone vibrate on her pocket. She groaned and apologized pulling her cell from the pocket of her trench coat and looking at the caller ID.

"What's going on?" she asked frantically.

"I really need your help," Edward breathed.

"Edward, what the hell is going on?" she said, raising her voice. "Is Danny okay?"

"It's Alice. I need your … um … I need … I fucking _need you_, Bella. Please."

She didn't hesitate with her answer.

"I'm on my way," she said, putting her phone in her purse. Turning her eyes to Peter, she continued, "Peter, I'm sorry, Edward needs me."

Peter started glowing with excitement, "I'll drive you," he offered.

The pair sprinted toward the parking lot in front of Bella's building and climbed into Peter's car. Bella didn't bother with the belt, only urging Peter to drive faster. She gave him instructions as to how to reach the penthouse and before he could stop the engine she was off the car, running toward the entrance.

She didn't stop when Peter called after her. On the contrary, she pushed the elevator button repeatedly as if this would make it come faster.

Peter was able to slip into the elevator right before the doors closed. Bella was breathing heavily, her eyes locked on the digital numbers over the elevator doors indicating which floor there were on.

_Fifth._

_Sixth._

_Seventh._

_Eighth._

Peter grabbed Bella's hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She met his eyes and nodded her head in a silent thank you. As soon as the doors opened Bella was out of the elevator, not so much hurrying to help Edward, as to see how Danny was doing. She didn't know what was going on, but Alice was involved so she wasn't happy about it.

She was so going to castrate Edward for bringing Alice close to Daniel.

The blood stain she saw in front of the door made her breath hitch. Without knocking she burst into the room and took in the scene before her eyes.

Edward was sitting on one of the metallic chairs in the living room with his head between his knees, while Alice was laid on the couch, beaten and bruised, bleeding and hurting.

Her eyes fell on Edward's. His jade orbs pierced trough hers and he stood from the chair, walking toward her. She pushed him aside and ran in the direction of Danny's room, checking in on him. Her son had always been her number one priority; a beaten woman she hated would never be more important than Danny.

Bella walked into his room and smoothed back the hairs that had fallen on his forehead. She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek and raised the blankets to his neck. She saw the two pillows on each side of him and smiled because Edward had remembered. Satisfied that Danny was all right, she went back to the living room and immediately kneeled in front of Alice, touching her cheek.

"Alice, can you hear me?" she asked, seeing Alice's eyes flutter open.

Edward was right beside her in a moment with his back to the door. Bella looked up to him and asked, "Why didn't you call an ambulance? She could have concussion and God knows how many broken ribs."

"I asked him not to," Alice coughed. "No hospitals."

"Why?" she asked.

"Apparently there are people who want Alice for her talents and she refuses to give it to them," Edward spat, glaring at Alice.

"Talents?" Bella asked, mockingly. She couldn't remember anything Alice was good at, even though they were only acquaintances for a few weeks.

"Getting fucked," Edward said, pointing his thumb toward his sisters.

Seeing Alice flinch Bella chastised, "Edward—" but he stopped her.

"Oh, come on, Bella. Don't tell me not to say that. You and I both know what Alice is."

"Can you keep quiet? Danny's asleep."

"Um," Peter cleared his throat. "I think I should leave."

Edward turned his entire body in the direction of the door and the mild panic he felt when he saw Peter was quickly replaced with anger. Rage in its purest and most animalistic form.

The fists on either side of his body were clenched and he was preparing to launch at him and beat his ass to the pulp, when he felt Bella's arm brush his as she walked toward Peter and stopped in front of him.

"I'm sorry I ruined our night," she apologized.

"If it gets me another date with you, it was worth it," he said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Right on cue, Bella blushed and a nervous giggle passed her lips.

"I think we can arrange that," she agreed.

Knowing perfectly well he was going to pay for getting so close to Bella, Peter decided that if he was doing down, he might as well do it the proper way. Without hesitation, he grabbed Bella by the waist and brought his lips to hers, kissing her hard, without passion.

Bella pushed him away on instinct, but before she could apologize, Edward's hand grabbed Peter by the collar and yelled in his face.

"Get the fuck out of my home."

"Edward let him go," Bella said, but he ignored her.

"Out," he hissed.

"I'm sorry, Peter," Bella excused herself again, when she heard Alice moan in pain. She asked Edward for the directions to the kitchen and walked to the fridge to get some ice for Alice's swelling face.

The second she was out of sight, Edward pushed him through the door.

Peter had no time to react before he was pushed hard into the hallway wall. Edward grabbed a hold on his neck, stopping the words Peter tried to say.

"Don't you dare to touch her, again! Don't talk to her, don't look at her and if I even see you within miles from my son, I'll kill you."

"Don't tell me what to do, Cullen. I own your ass!" Peter threatened, straightening himself up.

"You don't have shit on me."

"Oh, wrack your brain, Cullen. Did you really think I'd have a hit and run tape on a multi billionaire and I would delete it?"

The color drained from Edward's face and Peter took control over the situation.

"You know what? I really, really liked Bella when I first saw her. I actually imagined having a relationship with her; you know…" he said, stepping closer to Edward, even though Edward had a good five or more inches on him. "…fucking her."

Edward's eyes darkened and Peter enjoyed his little victory time.

"When I found out who her baby daddy was though, suddenly, she was even more appealing. So, how about this? I leave her alone, give you the tape and you … give me five million dollars?"

"Are you fucking insane?" Edward yelled.

"Alright then, I can't wait to see the headlines." Peter winked and bumped his shoulder with Edward's before walking toward the elevators.

Edward grabbed his shoulder and hissed, "My office. Tomorrow at noon. Make sure you bring me the only copy, because I swear to God, Summers, I will end you."

"Sounds like a deal," Peter said, turning back to face Edward. "I bet her pussy's tight though."

Unable to stop his anger anymore, Edward punched Peter in the jaw with all of his strength. Feeling unsatisfied, he grabbed him again and punched him straight in the nose. Blood started spilling from his nostrils, but he only laughed.

"She didn't stop talking about her kid the entire evening. I can't imagine what you found in her in the first place."

"Get the fuck off my property!" Edward spat, before storming back into his penthouse.

He found Bella trying to help Alice up and walked over to the women, trying to help.

"I'm not a doctor, but I don't there is anything seriously wrong with her. Just in case, let's wake her up periodically during the night in case she has a concussion."

Edward nodded and lifted his sister in his arms, letting her head rest right above his heart and led her toward his bedroom. He placed her in bed and pulled the blankets over her body, before switching the light off and closing the door behind her.

**xxXxx**

Bella leaned forward and rested her folded arms on the glass railing. She looked at the way the sun turned the darkness of the night into a blood covered sky. The intensity of the sunrise amazed her. The first glimpses of the sun barely peeked through the thick clouds and yet the dark sky let the new day begin.

Her body trembled as the wind blew cold air and hit her heated skin. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her hair being blown away in every direction. She smiled, remembering all of the times she used to open her window back in her father's house, just to enjoy the breeze on her skin.

Bella jumped; a little startled as she felt a thick blanket being wrapped around her shoulders. Instinctively, she grabbed the ends just above her chest, preventing it from falling down. The scent of cinnamon and coffee attacked her nostrils and she saw a black mug being handed in her direction.

She looked from the mug to the person holding it, before her eyes settled back on the cup. Unwanted, she smirked and looked toward the last blinking lights of Seattle, before the city started the new day.

"I didn't poison the last one, this one is safe, too," Edward said, taking a sip from his own coffee, before he placed his mug on the railing.

Bella took the mug and brought it to her nose, breathing in the scent of freshly brewed coffee. She took a sip, happy that he had not put any sugar in it.

"You should call the police, Edward."

"I know. Not now, though."

The minutes following their exchange were silent. Bella kept her eyes forward, taking in the beautiful look of the city. The orange glow from the east had taken over most of the sky, showing just a hint of the leaving darkness.

Bella looked at Edward, seeing his eyes roaming around the streets below. The sun was making the redness in his hair more defined, which also made his eyes far more crystal and pale than usual.

As their eyes met, neither diverted his gaze from the other. They stared at each other, until Edward finally whispered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled and opened her lips to say something else, but before she could a yell from the inside stopped her.

"He's calling for me," Edward said.

"Go," she urged.

He smiled and watched her as she turned her gaze back to the horizon. His hand rose on its own accord and hovered over her shoulder, wanting to express his gratitude by the simple gesture of touching her. He shook his head though, clenched his fist and left the balcony without another word.

…

"When's Momma coming?" Danny said. His knuckles rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and he yawned sweetly.

Edward put his son's sweater on and ruffled through his hair. "Actually, she's here."

Danny's eyes brightened. "Wewe?"

"What?" Edward asked confused. After all conversations he had with Danny he knew he was having troubles saying certain words, but most of the time he understood him.

Most of the times.

"He means 'really,'" Bella translated from behind them.

"Momma!" Danny yelled, running in her direction.

"Hey, baby," she said and kissed his head.

She opened her hand for him and he gladly took it. They walked out of the room and down the long hallway until they reached the living room. Edward was silently walking after them, but his heart was breaking with every step. He knew that Danny was going home with his mother and that thought saddened him. He had one night with Danny and that was ruined because of Alice.

Bella zipped his jacket and put his olive green hat on. As she put her trench coat back on, Danny's big eyes fell on Edward and he walked to his father, curling his finger and making him kneel in front of him.

Edward raised an eyebrow at his son's commandeering, but knelt anyway and smiled.

Danny wrapped his chubby arms around his neck and whispered. "I love you, Daddy."

Edward sighed and tightened his grip on Danny for a second before he let him go.

"I'll drop him off at the daycare and get myself ready for work, but I want to talk to you," Bella said.

Edward nodded and walked to the entertainment unit pulling a business card from where he kept them and gave it to Bella.

"Here's the address of my company. I'll let my receptionist know I should be expecting you, so you shouldn't have any problems getting in."

"Okay," she said and urged Danny out of the door. "I'll see you later," she told Edward and closed the door behind her.

**xxXxx**

"Hello, I'm here to meet Edward Cullen. My name is Isabella Swan," Bella said.

"Good afternoon, Miss. My name is Jane. Do you have an appointment?"

"I'm expected," she said, glaring as soon as she remembered the rude assistant that had answered the phone the night she called Edward to tell him about Danny.

"Mr. Cullen is currently in a meeting, but you're more than welcome to wait in the waiting room in front of his office. It's on the forty-seventh floor."

Bella tossed her hair behind her shoulder and made her way to the elevators. She didn't have to wait long for the doors to opened and she thanked god, for the only good thing that had happened today.

The doors of the elevator opened on the forty-seventh floor and she found herself completely alone. She looked around trying to see someone, but there wasn't a noise made anywhere. She looked at the numbers written over the elevator button and saw she was on the right floor.

Deciding to just let herself into his office, Bella walked up to a big wooden door, but didn't knock when she heard voices inside.

"Stay the fuck away from Bella and my son, Summers," Edward threatened.

"Funny how you still think you're so mighty, even though I can break you and throw your ass to jail with a simple video tape."

Deciding she'd heard enough, Bella opened the door and questioned, "What tape?"

* * *

**Outtakes** – www . fanfiction . net /s/ 7407820 /1/ Paradise_Lost_OUTTAKES

**Beta'd by Kitty Vuitton. ****xx**


	18. And Then She Hurt Him

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary**: A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated **M****(NC-17)**, for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And __Then __She __Hurt __Him_

Four million, three hundred and ninety-nine thousand dollars.

Edward remembered scratching his signature under his name as he paid for the outrageously large for a single person penthouse. If he had to be honest, the only reason he bought it was because of the balcony. He couldn't move away from the glass railing for the first week after he moved in. The twinkling lights always relaxed him even when he was feeling down.

But even the balcony could not help his anxiety now. Not after _she_ was there.

Edward was lying on Danny's unmade bed. His eyes were closed and the room was lit up by the daylight. He was tossing the yellow container from the toy his son had given him into the air, only to catch it and do it all over again.

He was tired and his head was hurting from the lack of sleep he had the previous night. His body was begging for rest, but his mind never stopped working. He had a lot to think about with Alice's situation and his newfound fatherhood, but there was something else that wasn't allowing him to sleep soundlessly.

Bella.

Edward's past love life had been non-existent. Ever since he first slept with a woman when he was merely fifteen, he never added emotions during his sexual encounters. It was easy; look for the woman you'd want, charm her with two or three words, fuck her and send her home before she could even catch her breath. He had never felt something for a woman. He had never found the need to woo her, buy her flowers and hold her hand, make her smile or wake up next to her.

The sudden urge to do all of these things terrified him beyond belief.

He had heard people in the office talk about their girlfriends, their wives or mistresses. He had seen them glow in the mornings after they had undoubtfully had a fulfilling night.

Most times, he also had a fulfilling night.

He never glowed, though.

Edward wasn't a hypocrite. He knew there was love in the world, he just never encountered it. Since the day he was born, he had been exposed to all the wrong things — loveless marriage, his parents' infidelities, bad company in high school and college. He knew love existed, but he was certain it did not exist for him.

The mixed feelings he had left him confused, and he didn't like it.

There was something about Bella he couldn't quite pinpoint. She was an attractive woman; there was no denying that. His first impression of her on the night they met was definitely wrong. There was nothing plain or common about Bella, she was unique in her own way. Edward still could not remove the image from his mind when he saw her in the park that Saturday morning. Everyone could see that the coldness was biting into her skin. The redness on the tip of her nose and the pink-colored cheeks both showed that. Her makeup was minimal, her hair in disarray from the wind and yet she never looked more beautiful than she did right then.

Definitely not yesterday when he was fighting with himself to throw a thick blanket over her and hide her from the world.

Edward never felt possessive. He had been in the same room while watching how his college girlfriend-of-the-month was being fucked by half of the frat party; this went on without a blink of an eye. Never had he thought he would be angry to see a woman in skimpy attire. But everything about Bella's looks last night screamed, "I'm getting laid," though. The urge to grab her, throw her over his shoulder and growl while running to the bedroom was disturbing.

Cavemen, he was not. An asshole with a crush, he definitely was.

More times than he cared to admit, he would catch himself thinking about her. There was something about that woman and it wasn't only physical attraction. Did he have the urge to fuck her? Of course — she was a walking MILF fantasy, but what scared him was the fact he didn't want to mindlessly fuck her. He wanted something … more than that.

When she smiled, her whole face brightened. When she was with Danny, even a blind man could see he was her whole life. When she was protecting their son, she was fierce and independent. And when she was telling Edward to fuck off, he had to adjust his pants.

He smiled and picked up his phone. It had been thirty minutes since they left, but he knew it would take at least twenty more before they arrived home to that shithole they were living in. He was so angry at Bella for that. He had, after all, suggested buying an apartment for her in a safer part of town. Every time he walked her and Danny home he expected to find the door to their apartment broken.

Deciding it was appropriate to call someone early on Monday, Edward searched through his contact lists, until he found the name of his real estate broker.

"Mandy Stevens," she answered.

Edward had spoken to Mandy the week before and told her to search for a nice, furnished penthouse in a neighborhood close to his. He knew if he bought Bella an apartment in his building she would freak out and never move in. He still held on to the hope that she might change her mind though, and move into a newer and larger apartment if he bought it and just handed her the keys.

"Good morning, Mandy. It's Edward Cullen."

"Hello, Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry to tell you that I couldn't really give your request enough time and have only two penthouses—"

"You didn't have enough time?" Edward hissed. "You understand I own your ass, Stevens. Are you deaf or plain stupid? Have you forgotten who holds fifty-one percent of the stock to your company? I can crush your family business in one day."

"Mr. Cullen—"

"Let me get myself clear," Edward threatened. "I'm not someone you want to fuck with. You better have at least ten offers for me by tonight, or you'll be on the lookout for another job!"

He ended the call and tossed his cell phone next to him on the bed, before he roughly moved his hands up and down his face. He huffed, stood from Danny's bed and walked into his own bedroom to take a shower.

Edward glanced at his bed, and to his surprise, found Alice awake and staring at the ceiling. Her face was badly swollen and bruised, her knuckles were slightly bleeding from the wounds and her lower lip was twice its size.

Edward walked to the end of the bed slowly and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He waited for Alice to say something, but she didn't even look at him. Tears were streaming down her face, but Edward couldn't begin to feel bad for her.

"Are you in pain?" he asked.

Alice nodded and a whimper escaped her lips. Slowly, Edward walked to her side and picked up the two white pills Bella had left for her. He handed them to Alice and held the glass of water while he waited for her to swallow them.

"I need some help getting up," Alice said crocked, and raised her hand, waiting for her brother to help her get up.

"You need help with everything in your life, Alice. You need help getting money, you need help buying an apartment, you need help staying safe, you need help fucking thinking," Edward said, raising his voice with each word, until at the end he yelled. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Stop," she begged.

"Oh, I definitely wouldn't stop! You show up beaten beyond all recognition on my doorstep, while I'm trying to put my son to sleep, after you've been fucked up by your pimp. How badly did that motherfucker hit your head exactly?"

"I know you care about my safety—"

"You don't know anything, Alice, because I don't give a fuck about you. I don't care if you're dead or alive, happy or sad. I don't give a shit about your life. You, Esme, Carlisle you call all fucking go to hell and suffer for the rest of your lives. I don't want anything from you! I don't want the whore's monthly calls and I don't want you!"

Edward took a deep breath and continued to speak to her, calmer than before, "Jasper is in Seattle for the rest of the week. I'll write you the address and leave you cab money. I'm going to work. You better not be here when I come home later."

He grabbed her under her armpits and raised her body enough so that she could lean back on the headboard, before handing her the water and disappearing into the bathroom.

**xxXxx**

Edward strode inside of Cullen Internationals, ignoring the employees greeting him as usual. He never understood why they kept trying when he never gave them the light of day, unless he needed them.

His eyes went to the reception desk and narrowed when he saw Jane, his secretary, fixing her lipstick while holding a small mirror on arm's length. Her cleavage was deeply cut that her red bra was peeking through the neckline.

He cleared his throat as soon as he approached the desk and leaned forward on his elbows. Jane jumped slightly on her chair, but steadied herself and greeted her boss appropriately.

"Add two appointments to my schedule — 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Peter Summers and Isabella Swan."

"Of course, Mr. Cullen," she said, and tried to discreetly raise her blouse up and cover her breasts more.

"Jane," he started and leaned forward more. Her heart started beating quicker than before and her breath hitched in her throat. "Come to my office after everyone leaves." He winked at her and kept walking until he reached the elevators.

His morning was mostly free, so he decided to give Bella a call and make sure she would still be coming. He didn't know what she wanted to talk to him about so badly, but given recent events, it could either be bad or good; bad for the whole Alice fiasco or good for taking care of Danny the night before.

"Ugh! Don't come near my office without a coffee, or I'll grab you by the hair!" Bella hissed.

Edward raised his eyebrows and stuttered, "Uh, o-kay? I thought you were coming to Cullen Internationals, but if you want I could-"

Bella groaned and chuckled. "I'm sorry. I thought you were my collegue."

"Oh," Edward said. "So, when are you coming?"

"I'm up to my neck in bullshit. There are problems with a shipment we sent to Uganda and now it's all on me."

"Hey, if you can't come—"

"I can!" she quickly replied. "I have a lunch break, so I guess I'll see you then."

"All right," Edward agreed, completely forgetting about his meeting with Peter.

"I was thinking ... um ..."

"Yes?" Edward urged, leaning back on the office chair.

"Would you like ... to ... um ... come by tonight and see Danny's baby albums?" Bella mumbled.

Edward's lips curled upwards so slightly, most people wouldn't even notice the movement. "Of course."

"Great! Um ... I have the ultrasounds, too—"

"I'd love to see them."

"Listen, Edward I have to go now, but I'll see you in a while."

Edward smiled and for the first time in his life allowed himself to actually look forward to something. He had always told himself not to aim too high because of the disappointment following, but at that moment, he didn't care.

He let himself dream about it.

"Bye, Bella."

Edward tossed his cell phone on the desk and swirled on his chair, looking at Danny's photo framed on his desk. He didn't know if Bella remember he had that picture — she never spoke about it or wanted it back.

He grabbed the frame and brought it close to his face. He had made a habit of staring at his son's photo when he felt happy.

An emotion he felt more and more lately.

The buzzing sound of the intercom brought him back to the present. Unwilling, he placed the photo back on his desk, making sure it was hidden from intruder's eyes, but close to his gaze. He didn't care if someone found out he was a father.

The tabloids had been digging into his meetings with Bella and Danny and the rumors had started, but everything was yet to be confirmed. Danny's resemblance to Edward left little to the imagination, but without an official statement everything was just rumors.

Edward pressed the red button of the intercom and waited for Jane to speak.

"Mr. Cullen," she purred. "Your one o'clock is here."

Groaning, Edward instructed Jane to let Peter in. Edward wondered if Jane knew why he asked her to meet him after hours in his office. Knowing her airhead persona, she probably thought he finally decided to allow her access to his bed and his money.

Little did she know, he was firing her.

Edward glanced toward the big windows behind him and let his mind wander to the morning when he watched the sunrise with Bella. Surely, the landscape is not the same as the morning, but the familiarity gave him a strange sense of calm.

He definitely needed to be calm for the following meeting.

The knock on the door made his shoulders tense, but he didn't move from his position. His eyes were cast through the window and his back was facing the door. He took a breath, telling whoever was on the door to come in.

"Mr. Cullen, your one o'clock is here," his personal assistant informed him.

"Thank you, Heidi, that will be all for now. Let him in," Edward said, his voice had the epitome of strenght and calmness. Nothing on the outside showed the scared, insecure feelings of the lost man he actually was.

The door clicked and he heard Peter's bored sigh. Footsteps and a deep sigh following them let Edward know that Peter had seated himself in one of the guest chairs in front of the CEO's desk.

Without turning around to face him, Edward extended his hand behind him and tapped the monitor of his laptop. He heard ruffling and felt Peter's hands near the computer, placing the CD in the slot. The touchpad got tapped on several times, before Peter turned the laptop toward Edward.

Swirling on his chair and turning to face Peter for the first time, Edward narrowed his eyes at the person interfering with his life. He couldn't describe the hatred he felt toward Peter. He loathed him for trying to blackmail him, but despised him for trying to use Bella to achieve his fucked-up goals.

Down casting his eyes, Edward held his breath as he watched on repeat how his silver Aston scared a middle-aged man, causing him to jump back, stumble over his own feet and fall down. The tires of his car painfully crushed the man's leg, undoubtfully breaking the bones there. The tread marks left on the pavement continued, before the car finally stopped.

Edward watched the homeless man clutch his leg in agonizing pain. Although the video was very low definition, he could still see the immeasurable amount of hurt the man felt.

All this was caught on a fifteen seconds of video footage and played on repeat.

A lazy smirk appeared on Edward's face and he leaned back on his chair, linking his fingers together behind his head, before resting it on his palms.

"You just had to put it on repeat, didn't you?" Edward asked, chuckling as he finished his question.

Peter's eyes widened slightly. He didn't know what reaction to expect, but he definitely didn't think Edward would laugh about it. He knew Edward was an utter bastard, but he still thought he would feel some sort of remorse.

"Where is my money?" Peter asked.

"Where's the original?"

Peter opened the zipper of his messenger bag and threw the disk on the desk.

"It's the only copy."

"How can I be sure of that?" Edward asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Trust me when I say this: I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore. Your life is so fucked up; I don't want to be any part of it. I just want the money and I'm on my way."

"Bella is a part of my life," Edward said boldly, standing up. He straightened his suit and walked over to Peter, standing above him with a solid ten inches. "You are to stay the hell away from her."

Peter forced a laugh and spat, "Not before I hit that."

Grabbing him by the collar of his jacket, Edward brought Peter closer to his before he hissed in his face.

"Stay the fuck away from Bella and my son, Summers."

"Funny how you still think you're so mighty, even though I can break you and have your ass thrown in jail with a simple video tape."

The door to his office door opened and both men's attention fell to the petite woman standing there with confused expression on her face.

"What tape?" Bella questioned, clutching the door handle in her hands. Her eyes never left Edward's uncertainly written all over her beautiful features. "What's Peter doing here and what in the God's name is going on?"

"Bel—"

"Oh, my God!" Bella breathed, stopping Edward's sentence half-way. The hand that wasn't holding onto the handle flew to her mouth as she watched in horror the video displayed on Edward's laptop.

Realization sank in as soon as she recognized Edward's car. Peter's words rang through her mind as she fought back the tears of betrayal that threatened to fall from her eyes.

* * *

_"He __is __Edward __Cullen," __she __responded. __"You __know __each __other?"_

_Peter gulped and nodded. "Professionally."_

_Bella raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, but what kind of a business could a billionaire CEO and a traffic control officer have?"_

* * *

"Bella, it's not what—"

Shaking her head, Bella turned on her heels and sped away from the office, the terrible image of the poor man holding onto his leg burning into her memory. Trying to walk as fast as she could without running, she forced her legs to speed up, hoping to reach the elevators before she broke down.

Stupid, stupid woman.

She couldn't believe she actually thought there was a good bone in Edward's body. She trusted him to be alone with Danny, but the worst feeling was that he made her _feel_something for him other than hate.

Edward's heart sank as he watched Bella's fast departure.

"Bella," Edward yelled after her, pushing Peter into the wall of his office, before running after the mother of his child.

He had to remember she was just that, _the__mother__of__his__child._

She would never be more.

"Bella," he yelled again, nearing her. She wasn't running, but she might as well have been. He had never seen someone walking so fast in his life.

As soon as he neared her, he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.

The look on her face was one of shame and anger.

The look on his face was one of fear.

"Get your fucking murderous hands off of me!" she hissed quietly, remembering she was still in his office.

"I didn't kill anyone!" he rejected.

"You may not have killed anyone, but you certainly killed all of your chances to be in Daniel's life. Take me to the goddamned court. I'll fight your ass and I'll win. Murderer," she spat the last word and slipped her arm from his hand, doubling her efforts to get out of his sight, before she broke down.

Frozen on the spot, Edward watched Bella's face disappear behind the stainless doors of the elevator.

Once the shock subsided, Edward angrily walked back to his office and pushed Peter forcefully out of the door. "I should have busted your face all up better last night. The five millions will be transferred to your bank account in the morning. Get the hell away from here and stay away from Bella. She's mine!"

"She'll never be yours," Peter spat. "Especially not after what she saw!"

"Get the fuck out before I call security and have you forcefully removed from the building!"

Edward closed the door to his office, shutting it in Peter's face, before he ran to his desk and grabbed his cell phone. As he was making his way outside and after Bella, though, his phone rang. Hoping it was Bella, Edward answered immediately.

"Bella?"

"Edward," Charlotte coughed.

"What's going on, Char? I'm in the middle of something."

"I'm in Boston's General. I really need you, Edward. I was attacked."

Edward was torn. He didn't want to leave Charlotte, she was the only person in his family that actually ever listened and cared about him. On the other side, he couldn't leave Bella without an explanation. He wasn't about to let his family slip through his fingers. He couldn't leave Danny.

"I'm on my way," he said to Charlotte. He hung up and then quickly called his pilot to arrange for his personal jet to be ready as soon as possible.

**xxXxx**

Bella fumbled with her keys and when she finally unlocked the door to her apartment, she allowed the tears to finally fall from her eyes. She forcefully closed the door behind her and slid down until her bottom hit the ground. Bella hugged her knees close to her chest and rested her forehead on them, sobs wrecking her entire frame.

Her hair fell around her cuddled body, creating a shield. She was happy Danny was still in daycare, because she didn't have an explanation for his questions yet.

_Why are you crying?_

_Where is Daddy?_

_Why is Daddy not coming to see me anymore?_

Chocking sound left her throat and she burrowed her fingers through her thick curled hair. She pulled at the roots so hard she was surprised when the hair didn't fell off her head.

"Fuck," she hissed. She couldn't help but loathe herself for allowing Edward to get so close to her and Danny. The walls she so carefully built to prevent him from storming into their lives slowly fell to ashes in the past month. Bella hated to admit it, but over the past weeks, she felt somehow connected to Edward. He was a great father for Danny and sometimes even a better person to her.

Little did she know how great he actually was…

The anger bubbled up in her fast. Her breathing was coming in and out of her nostrils fast. Her intakes were shuddered and her lips were curled into a sneer. Her long, manicured nails scraped her scalp until she felt the burning lingering sensation of the damaged skin.

Her tears fell freely now. She was torn between feeling angry at herself and feeling angry at Edward.

Frantic knocks on her door caused her to jump. Clumsily, she stood up and brushed her tears away. Bella threw the door open, seeing Edward and her anger made her blood boil yet again. He slapped his palm at the door when Bella tried to slam it in his face.

"Get out of my apartment," Bella threatened, fighting the tears that yet again tried to escape.

"Let me explain—"

"I'll call the police Edward, don't fuck with me," she hissed.

Edward shook his head and stalked toward her. Bella stepped back on instinct, making enough room for Edward to walk into her small apartment and close the door behind him.

"You'll listen to me!" he hissed. "I'm not leaving Danny's life."

The anxiety was bubbling up in him. His stomach was tied into knots and his breaths came uneven. Any other time he would have laughed at the irony: Bella, the woman he wanted to crush, ended the one hurting him.

"I don't want to hear a word that comes out of your mouth right now, Edward."

Edward ran his hands through his hair and shook his head repeatedly. He couldn't stay with her much longer, because Charlotte needed him, but he knew if he left now everything was lost.

"Bella please—" he beseeched, hoping she would change her mind.

"No!" she rejected, forcefully brushing her cheekbones, afraid a tear might fall.

He wasn't going to see her cry. Not for him, not after all that time.

"Please!"

"No!"

He looked around him, as if the answer to his questions was written somewhere on the walls. He was losing her and the chances to be in Danny's life. Everything he worked for in the past month was going to turn into being a complete waste of time.

His eyes fell upon hers again. Her attempts to hide her tears were futile. Her lips looked swollen and the redness on her bottom lip look even more prominent from where her teeth had nibbled it. The tip on her nose was red and her eyes starred with the unshed tears that were yet to break free.

Nothing could have stopped him then. As desperation kicked in, he stepped forward and without thinking about the consequences, without remorse, he grabbed the back of her head gently, yet firmly and crashed his lips to hers.

* * *

**Beta'd by Kitty Vuitton.**


	19. And Then He Kissed Her

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated M (NC-17), for violence, sexual scenes and language. AH, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then He Kissed Her_

Edward's long fingers sneaked behind her neck and gently caressed the hairs on the nape. Slowly, he fisted her soft curls and brought her lips impossibly closer to his. Bella's hands went to his chest and she silently tried to push him away. She gasped and her mouth opened ever so slightly. Edward took that as a sign of encouragement and sneakily licked down on her bottom lip, before seeking entrance.

Bella couldn't understand her body's powerful reaction at that moment. Her hands which were placed in Edward's hard chest no longer served the purpose of pushing him away — on the contrary, they pulled him closer.

Her fingers held onto the collar of his blazer so tightly, she wondered if she would puncture the expensive material with her nails. A loud moan surrounded them a sexy, needy sound Bella couldn't believe left her body. It had been too long, far too long since she last had any contact with a man. The orgasms she brought to herself were not enough.

Edward's hands weren't shy. His palms ran down the sides of her body until they finally stopped on her breasts. Her back was pushed hard against the door and her reasons to stop no longer had any meaning. The wetness between her legs and the fire that shot through her body was the evidence of her need.

"You have a nice pair of tits, you know," he breathed against her lips.

Bella's eyes snapped open as the flashbacks of their first night together passed through her memory. As if a magic spell had been lifted, she finally saw the situation she was in clearly.

Using her entire strength, she pushed him away from her as far as she could. Lost in the sensations of her body, he ignored her attempts to let her go and dived in for more. His lips searched for hers, but instead of meeting her luscious mouth, he was met by the softness of her cheek.

His eyes snapped open and he saw Bella's face crunched into disgust. Her head was turned to the side, her teeth clenched. Her lower eyelashes were coaxed in the wetness of her tears.

As if struck, Edward stepped back. His head lowered down and his cheeks flamed with embarrassment. He did exactly what he had been trying not to do ever since they met again. He pushed her over the edge and she pushed back. He knew there was fire inside of her, but he didn't know how badly he would get burned by it.

His mind wandered back to his son. He couldn't let Bella take him away. Danny was the only thing he ever did right for the entire twenty-five years he had been living. He knew he was losing him and in his despair he did what he thought would help – he kissed her.

He didn't even consider how things could turn even worse from his actions.

Bella's bottom lip trembled and she fought the urge to press her fingertips to her lips. Her entire body was still filled with desire, one she shouldn't succumb to. Bella wasn't a hypocrite. She knew she couldn't blame him for that kiss. Her own lips had responded to his, after all.

"Bella—"

"Just … ugh! What was that?" she said, her voice tight with emotion. She placed her hands on her hips and tried her best not to blink, knowing her tears would spill from her eyes as soon as she did.

Jade green met chocolate brown in an intense stare. Edward didn't know what to respond to her as she waited for her answer. Hundreds of explanations were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't know if they would help or harm the situation they were in.

_I wanted to. I've been thinking about that for weeks. I had to do something to assure myself that Danny would stay by my side. _

"The prelude to fucking. Shall we skip some steps, or get back to it?" he snapped.

A sharp stinging in his left cheek alerted him to the fact Bella had slapped him. Her strength was not enough to cause real harm, but it hurt him more than he thought it would.

More that he thought it should.

A step forward and Bella was almost flush against his chest. Her neck was cranked as she looked up on him, fury clearly burning in her eyes. Their gazed locked again and Edward couldn't stop the feeling of shame that rushed through him.

"What happened to you?" Bella asked quietly. "What made you like that? Were you always so cruel? So harsh? So unlovable? Is that a role you play, or are you really such sociopath?

"I don't know you," she continued in much gentler voice. "I know who you were in college and who you are now. Don't understand me wrong, I have no desire of getting to know you, either. You're the father of my child whether I like it or not. All I know is that I see no difference between the man on that party three years ago and the man standing in front of me. I can only guess your problems come from long before I met you."

"Fuck you," he spat. He had tried so hard to lock up all of the feelings and memories from his youth. Her words hurt more than the slap she gave him. His childhood was a sore subject and her words did nothing but put salt in the wounds.

_So harsh. So unlovable. So cruel._

Carlisle had always reminded him he had no place in his house. He was nobody, just a bastard from his mother's affair. Even Esme never tried to defend him, or assure him Carlisle was wrong. Nobody loved him, he never let anyone love him and he never gave love.

Until now. Bella was wrong. Someone loved him and he loved right back.

_Danny._

"I did once and I will not repeat the same mistake," she said mockingly. "When you had a bad ride on the rollercoaster would you ride it again?"

"Bad ride?" He cocked an eyebrow at her and his lips curled into a sneer. His memories from that night were hazy, but he vaguely remembered her writhing above him. He took a step forward and she took a step back. "You rode me like a professional cowgirl."

A guttural growl erupted from Bella's chest. Her muscles tightened and she wondered briefly if she struck him again, she would do any damage.

An intake of breath later, she said, "That wasn't me."

A ringing stopped their fight. Bella shook her head and dug through her pockets to locate her cell phone.

"Bella Swan," she answered.

"Hello, dear. It's Lucy. I'm sorry to disturb you, but your boy got sick."

Bella's eyes widened slightly. "Is he okay?" She walked around Edward and grabbed her purse, slipping its content on the floor until she located her car keys.

"He vomited right after lunch. None of the other kids had any problems with the food, so it's not food poisoning. Maybe it's just a cold."

"I'm on my way, Lucy." Pressing the red button on her phone, she effectively ended the conversation before slipping her cell into the front pocket of her jeans.

"I have to go. And so should you," she said, opening the door and waiting for Edward to leave.

"Lucy? That's the woman taking care of Daniel. What's going on?" His tone meant business. Bella could tell she had no way of slipping away from his question.

"He got sick after lunch. I'm going to pick him up."

True horror scrunched Edward's face. "Is he going to be all right? Should we call a doctor? Get him to a hospital?"

Bella raised an eyebrow. "He has a cold. He's not dying."

"Doesn't matter. We should get him to a hospital."

"What I have to do, is get him home and take care of him. This isn't the first time this has happened, you know. Children do get sick."

"Perhaps if you did include me in his life a little earlier, I wouldn't have."

"Perhaps if you weren't such a fucked up excuse of a man, I would have," she shot back.

Her words struck him harder than he thought they would. He knew he was a wasted human space, but having this told by the only woman he had ever trying getting approval of hurt tremendously.

He had an epiphany then. No matter what he did, no matter what he said, Bella would never forgive him for his mistakes. Everything he hoped for got flushed down the toilet then. Nothing was going to change her mind. He would forever only be the father of her child and nothing more.

Unnoticing his distress, Bella pointed toward the door, silently asking him to leave. Their gazes fell upon one another then. With a nod of his head, he took her hand in his and tossed her car keys behind the couch. Narrowing her eyes, Bella had no time to snap at him, before he circled her waist and lightly pushed her away from the door.

"My son is sick. If you think I'm not coming with you, you lost your mind."

"I—"

"Oh, don't even bother." He cut her off before she could utter a word and held his hand on the small of her back the entire ride to his SUV Mercedes.

Edward's eyes fell upon his wrist watch again, a movement that did not escape Bella's eyesight. Fury shone in her eyes and she hissed venomously at him, all while rubbing Danny's back.

"Our son is sick and he's vomiting his lunch! If you're in such hurry to leave us, get out!"

For the first time since he had been in Bella's life, she had said "our son" instead of "my son." Ignoring the fact she was kicking him out yet again, Edward let this change warm him heart. Not knowing how to explain to Bella his need to leave, he remained quiet, listening to his son dry-heaves when no food was left in his stomach.

They had taken Danny from Lucy's home only minutes after he had yet again purged. Danny was able to hold his stomach and not vomit in the car ride back, but he lost his control as soon as they walked into the apartment.

Sighing he said, "I'll call you."

It was impossible to miss the look of sadness that changed Bella's concerned expression on her face.

"You're really leaving?" she asked in disbelief. She honestly couldn't think of a reason good enough to leave Danny when he was sick, no matter how important it was.

"Bella—"

"Forget it," she whispered. "Guess joke's on me?"

"I know I promised you, I'd be here for as long as you need me, but—"

Edward wrecked his brain for the words that would help his case at that moment, but he couldn't think of any. He was at lost again and he knew a kiss wouldn't make any difference. Nothing would make a difference.

Bella wiped Danny's mouth with a washcloth and helped him rinse his mouth on the sink. She picked him up in his arms and turned to look at Edward for one last time before she left the bathroom.

"Just please come back," she begged. A moment later, she added, "For Danny's sake that is."

Her hand held Edward's for just a second, but it was enough for him to miss her as soon as she let him go. A smile softened her expression slightly, and she added, "For what it worth, I think you're a great father."

A tear might have slipped from the corners of his eyes while he drove toward the airport and away from the only family he'd known.

**xxXxx**

"Ungh," Charlotte moaned in pain as the light shining into her eyes woke her up.

"The Volturi family, you idiot? Really?"

"Shut the fuck up, Edward," she said, trying to get more comfortable on the hospital bed. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, focusing on Edward's form, lazily seated on the sofa in the corner of the room. His fingers played with the switch, turning on and off the lights over and over again.

"Stop it! You're going to get me a seizure."

"Seriously, Char," Edward said, standing up. "Only you can be this stupid!"

"Stupid or brave?" she asked, the corners of her mouth lifting up slightly.

Deciding to give her credit for her suicidal ways, Edward touched her cheek softly. "You could have gotten hurt worse."

"But I didn't. I did what I thought was right and protected my opinion. I'm not going to let criminals like the Volturi family do whatever they want and stay at large, Edward. You know me."

"I do," he agreed. "And I also know you're going to get yourself killed the next time. There is a reason no one stands against that family, Charlotte."

"What do you know about them?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I laundered money through one of their companies. Got my first billion with their help."

Charlotte's eyes went wide. "Are you kidding me? I can get you arrested for that!"

He shook his head. "You're so stoned you wouldn't remember anything from this conversation tomorrow."

**xxXxx**

It had been a week since Edward's departure to Boston. Bella had been struggling with Danny's cold. She remembered he had suffered from a virus, same as the one he had now only months ago. However, he was back on his feel only days later, not a week.

She had been freaked out about it and wanted to speak with Edward. Unfortunately, he had not been answering his cell phone at all.

Bella was lying next to sleeping Danny when she heard a knock on the door. She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at the cell phone watch. It was after midnight.

"I'm coming!" Bella yelled as the knocks on the door god louder and more frequent. She had just put Danny to sleep after he had, yet again, vomited his dinner.

Annoyed with the intruder in front of the door she yanked the handle and threw the wooden door open.

"Hmm…good genes or simply bulimic?" A beautiful woman in her late twenties stated, as she tossed her brown hair behind her shoulder. Bella's eyebrows raised as the unknown woman smiled, which made her blue eyes twinkle.

"Do you know what time is it? Besides, I'm positive you have the wrong apartment," Bella said, placing her hands on her hips. If this woman woke Danny up after the terrible day he had, she was going to cut her.

"Oh, trust me darling I'm not the type of person to have acquaintances in a neighborhood as such."

"I think it's time for you to leave, whoever you are," Bella held her composure, but she knew she wasn't going to stay calm much longer. This woman had showed up on her doorstep less than a minute ago and had insult her twice already.

"Oh, of course!" The woman moved past Bella and entered the apartment, making a gagging sound as she entered the small living room.

"Hey!" Bella said, raising her voice. She walked deliberately toward the intruding woman and grabbed her tightly by the biceps. "Who the hell do you think you are? Get out, before I throw you out!"

"Charlotte Cullen, darling. I'm your sweet boy's auntie."

"Cullen! Every one of you is worse than the one before! Why do I always have to deal with you? I'm sick of it!"

Charlotte chuckled and slipped her arm from Bella's grasp. "Close the door and bring refreshments. I have a little … hmm … story to tell you."

Bella cocked an eyebrow. "One I have no interest in hearing whatsoever!"

"Bella," Charlotte said, the previous light and uncaring tone in her voice gone. She meant business now, "You judge Edward and you don't even know him. He's too stupid and immature to tell you anything, so I decided to step in and tell you his story."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Bella asked, "What are you to Edward?"

"Cousin. And his only close relative. Trust me when I say this, skinny, you'll want to hear what I have to say."

The women stared at one another, daring the other to avert her eyes first. After a several moments passed, Bella sighed and closed the front door, motioning toward the kitchen.

"Orange juice working for you?" Bella asked.

"I don't drink the cheap brand," she said with a smile.

Bella sneered as Charlotte walked away from her. "Only the Cullens."

Minutes later, Edward's cousin was sitting across the mother of his child with a hot chocolate in her hands. Bella was playing with the ends of her hair, waiting for her guest to start speaking.

"He talks a lot about you, you know."

Bella looked at her and smiled. "I'm sure he is." She couldn't stop the mocking voice in which she said it.

"You don't give him enough credit. He loves his son and he's very attached to you."

"Did he send you here?" Bella asked annoyed. "Is he that much of a chicken he can't even face me anymore? He's gone a week, he didn't even call to check on his sick son and then he sends his cousin twenty minutes to midnight to defend him?"

Charlotte snored. "Please. If he knew I was here, he would send me right where I was just discharged from."

"You were in a hospital?"

"For the love of … he didn't even tell you why he went to Boston?"

"Well—"

"He certainly didn't come to enjoy the weather and see the architectural sites of the city."

Bella sighed deeply and placed her hands on the table in front of her, entwining her fingers together. "I'm right at the edge with you. Don't push me."

Charlotte smirked. "Hellcat. I really like you, Bella. You're just the type of woman my idiotic cousin needs to put him on his right track."

Inappreciative of having her time wasted when she would much rather sleep next to her sick son, Bella cracked her knuckles.

"You have ten minutes, Charlotte."

Smiling, Charlotte took a sip from her hot chocolate and started her story, "Twenty-five years ago Carlisle Cullen met his wife, Esme …"

**xxXxx**

"It's common. Some pregnancy tests are false positive. You period could be late from a various reasons — perhaps you're under a lot of stress, or you've travelled somewhere recently or…"

Rosalie tuned out the doctor and caressed her empty stomach. She felt Emmett's hand fall from her shoulder and she felt the loss twice as hard.

It wasn't like she miscarried — the pregnancy test deceived them, but she still felt the loss of her dreams, her hopes and chances to get back with Emmett flush down the toilet.

"I understand how this may come as a shock for you, since you seem like a nice couple—"

"We're not a couple." Emmett was quick to correct the doctor. He would be a liar if he said he wasn't hoping on being a father. He remembered holding an infant DJ in his arms, changing his diaper, having him puke all over his clothes. He remembered enjoying watching him grow up into the toddler he was now. He couldn't stop the want to have a child on his own, despite the circumstances surrounding him and Rosalie.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. I thought—"

"We're not," Emmett stated again, watching Rosalie's eyes water. It hurt him to see her that way, but he couldn't let things go back to where they were. "Are you sure she'd not pregnant?"

"Positive. No signs of pregnancy or miscarriage."

"Good. Let's go." He motioned to Rosalie to walk in front of him and out of the doctor's office. The walk to the car was silent, apart from the weeping sounds coming from Rosalie.

Emmett, like the true gentleman he was, opened the car door for her before entering the car himself. He didn't start the ignition or turn his head to look at her. All he did was stare through the windshield and listen to her cries.

"I miss you, Emmett," she cried. "I want us to try again."

"We can't. Too much had happened Rose. I can't forgive you for what you've done. Not again. Not with the same person. I don't even care so much you slept with him. It hurt to know that you always go to him and succumb to the need. Rosalie, you're in love with him."

"I'm not! I love you."

"Well, you have one funny way of showing it."


	20. And Then He Broke Down

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated M (NC-17), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then He Broke Down_

_Ding-dong._

Esme Cullen raised a suspicious eyebrow at the doorbell. Her gaze fell upon the expensive, antique pendulum clock, watching the swinging weight count the passing seconds. It was nine o'clock in the morning on a Sunday and she couldn't think of anyone worth getting up for.

Usually the maids and the help would greet any upcoming guests, however, everyone at the Cullen mansion had Sundays off.

_Ding-dong._

Groaning, Esme positioned her cocktail glass on the mahogany coffee table in the sitting room before standing up from the caramel-colored loveseat sofa. She tightened the belt of her pink silk robe and shook her hair at the roots, making it look more voluminous. Esme certainly hoped whoever came to see her had a damn good reason.

Slowly, she opened the door revealing every inch of her plastic-surgery changed body. After all, when your husband is a well-respected cosmetic surgeon, you get as many procedures as possible. .

Esme furrowed her eyebrows, but the botox Carlisle had just injected into her forehead the previous night was restraining most of her facial expressions.

"What are you doing here, Alicia?" she asked, her tone laced with boredom. Her hand slipped from the golden handle as she turned her back on her daughter and walked back to the sitting room.

"My name is Alice, Mom," Alice corrected and let herself in the house she grew up in. She closed the door behind her and undressed herself from the heavy outerwear she had on.

Esme waved her hand, dismissing Alice. "I always wanted to call you Alicia. It's your idiotic father that insisted on calling you Alice. Like you're a 1890s prostitute."

Her words stung Alice and she immediately defended her father. "Maybe he wanted to call me after the main character in 'Alice in Wonderland.'"

Esme scoffed. "He couldn't have cared less what your name was. All he wanted to do was defy me. Oh, and see if you're really his, you know, after the Edward fiasco."

Alice rolled her eyes and settled on the loveseat next to her mother. "I need your he—"

"Do you want a martini?" Esme asked, interrupting her.

"It's nine thirty in the morning," Alice noted.

"Whatever," Esme huffed and downed her alcoholic beverage. "You look like shit, by the way. Forgot how to use makeup?"

Alice groaned and let all of her mother's comments slip. She knew perfectly well Esme was not cut out to be a mother. She'd never go to her with a problem, or to look to her for advice. However, Esme was great in making other people's lives miserable. She and her brother were perfect examples.

After Edward kicked her out from his penthouse four days ago, she had tried to contact Jasper. His phone, though, always went straight to voicemail. Alice, being the paranoid person that was, assumed he was ignoring her, probably because he was doing something wrong. She had checked the address Edward had given her, but Jasper had left for Chicago to handle some work affairs as his secretary had informed her.

Alice took the first flight from Seattle and immediately sought her mother's help. If someone was good enough at making Jasper suffer for not picking up his phone, it was Esme.

"I need you to help me find Jasper and see why he has been avoiding me. I don't like being ignored."

Esme's eyes sparkled slightly. People often asked her if she had a hobby, especially when she was accompanying Carlisle to one of his million black-tie events. Lots of trophy wives had taken in gardening, cooking and even sewing as an activity to fill their boring lives with. Esme, however, always avoided this question. She couldn't say destroying people's lives was her hobby.

Truth be told, though – it was.

"Interesting," Esme noted. "Why is Mr. Southern-Accent avoiding you, my beautiful daughter? Have you done something bad?"

Alice flinched as Esme cupped her still sore cheek. "I asked his secretary for his whereabouts. All I know is that he has recently purchased a house in Chicago and is now staying here. I have a feeling he'll ask me to move in with him, but you know I don't like surprises. Besides, I want to be able to decorate the way I want to. Jasper's fine, but his sense of style is awful."

Nodding, Esme tossed her caramel-colored hair extensions and clapped her hands together. "We should totally get to work, then," she added with her best valley girl tone. "First, go fix your face. You look absolutely hideous without makeup. You should ask your father to touch you up here and there, by the way. You're pretty, but you're nothing special. Second, go dress more provocative. You'll be seducing your man, not baking him cookies."

Squealing, Alice jumped from the sofa and sprinted up the large open stairwell to where her room was located. Smiling lazily behind her daughter's back, Esme filled her cocktail glass yet again and let the drink burn down her throat.

Half-an-hour later, Alice was behind the wheel of her pink Audi TT Cabrio. She was driving recklessly toward the address Jasper's secretary had given her, dressed in an outfit appropriate for a high budget porno movie. Esme was accompanying her, the martini glass glued to her hand as she kept pouring the liquid down her throat.

With Alice's maniac driving, the duo reached the outskirts of Chicago in half the time they would have if she had drove with the speed limit. Asking Esme to stay in the car until she sorted out her affairs with Jasper, Alice slipped from the beige leather seats and tugged the cleavage of her v-cut blouse down, exposing her breasts more. With a frown, she concluded her mother had been right. She definitely needed to get work done on her body, starting with breasts implants.

Her stripper-heels clicked down the cement on the steps leading to the front door. Alice made a little gagging noise as she took in the small two-story house. It was nothing flashy, just a modest, middle-class home with white hatching paint and windows covered in yellowing curtains. She couldn't imagine why Jasper would purchase such a shithole, but she wasn't going to say anything at that moment. It had been too long since she's been with him, with anyone, and she needed someone to scratch her itch.

She curled her fingers in a first and knocked on the old door, immediately brushing the invisible filth from her knuckles.

The door opened widely and a beautiful brunette stood on the other side of the door. Her hair was pulled in a high-ponytail and the white smile she flashed Alice with matched the fluffy long sweater she had on.

"Can I help you," the woman asked sweetly, despite her visible lack of comfort with Alice's attire.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "I'm looking for Jasper Whitlock. Who are you?" She spit the words out.

"Umm…Maria Whitlock. I'm Jasper's wife."

Alice's lips curled into a sneer. "What?" she hissed, her voice pitching as she raised her voice at Maria.

Maria's eyebrows shot up and then a knowing smile danced on her lips. "You're Alice. Jasper warned me about you. He said you might pay us a visit."

"You sl—" Alice started, but she was cut-off by Jasper's demanding voice.

"I think you should leave, Alice." His arm curled around Maria's waist and he brought her flush to his side, pressing a gentle lover's kiss to her temple. "And don't ever try to insult my wife, especially with such degrading word coming from a whore's mouth."

"Jasper," Maria scolded, softly. She wasn't the type of person to enjoy watching other people's misery and disgrace. This is exactly what Jasper had fallen in love with those past few months.

After his return from Seattle to Boston, he had continued his meetings with Maria for sex. Citizenship for sexual pleasure seemed like a good deal for both parties, until one day the inevitable happened. Their rough fucking transformed into lovemaking, their kisses became something they craved and their touches made their skin on fire. They didn't even realize when they fell in love – they just did. Hard.

Deciding to buy a small house, they decided upon Chicago. Both of them had been sick from Boston and wanted a change. Maria had looked online for houses and had located the one they were living in now – small, homey and beautiful. Sure, it needed work done, but it was the perfect place to start a family.

And family they were starting. The fruit of their love was already growing inside of Maria's womb.

"You…what…how…I…fuck you, Jasper! You think I need you?" Alice growled, her nails digging into the soft skin of her palms.

"I don't care what you want or need. I found happiness. I don't want anything to do with you, Alice. I have wasted too much being with you. Leave me and my family alone."

The door slammed shut in her face and Alice went nuts. A blood-curling scream echoed around the neighborhood as she vocally let her frustration out. The toes of her shoe kicked the door of Jasper's home before she stalked back to her car, tears staining her cheeks.

Her heart fell to her stomach as realization finally sank in. She was completely and utterly alone in the world. Her parents couldn't care if she was dead or alive. Her brother hated her with fierce passion, after she ruined the life as he knew it. Bella had helped her when she needed it, but she knew the former would rather spit on her grave than look in her direction. And Jasper … Jasper finally cut all ties.

She had nothing to live for anymore. All her life she has looked for affection, for comfort, for love. She had slept with so many men - sometimes even women - only to feel the thrill of being wanted by someone.

Alice was never able to find her place in the world. She searched and searched, but she never found the reason for her existence. Convulsing from heavy tears body, she climbed back to her car, her mother too intoxicated to even notice her distress and started the ignition.

Her mind searched for a reason, for something, anything to keep up with the charade she called life. Never had she thought she'd be the one to search for a life meaning and purpose. She has been bathed in gold ever since she was born. She never wanted for anything and everything she ever asked for, she got.

Her selfish nature couldn't accept the fact that she had been rejected from what she craved the most.

Love.

Her foot pressed on the gas pedal and with squealing tires, she sped away from Jasper's happy family. The car just kept accelerating and she couldn't care less that her mother was sitting next to her, barely awake after the unhealthy amount of alcohol she had consumed for a single person.

The gears shifted and the car passed through houses and trees in a blur. Alice's vision was blurry from the tears and from the velocity the car was driving with. A big left turn was right before them, when Alice let go of the wheel awaited the impact.

The car hit the side of the road and rolled once, twice, until it collided with a tree from the right side, causing a huge dent on the side.

And the death of one of the women.

**xxXxx**

Edward ran his hands roughly up and down his face. It had been a week since he last saw Danny or Bella and he was going crazy. He couldn't wait for the moment he'd see them again. His stay in Boston had been longer than he had intended, but it was more than he could ever hope for. Without Charlotte's help, he'd be looking from a grid-covered window instead of walking to his apartment to take a shower and then go home.

Home to his son and his mother.

His fingers itched to pull the cell phone from his pocket and call Bella, but he wanted to surprise her. After a week of absence, he knew only a phone-call wouldn't be enough.

The elevator bell chimed when he reached the top floor of his building. Walking fast with his eyes downcast, he almost missed the figure of a woman sitting next to his door, her legs outstretched with ankles locked over each other.

"How long have you been waiting?" he asked. He barely thought about giving her a key to his apartment, but quickly dismissed the idea. Baby steps, Bella wasn't ready for more.

Bella was slightly startled from his sudden appearance. Her eyes got starry as she softly smiled at him. She raised her arm, silently asking him to help her up. Immediately he took it, gently pulling her from the ground until she was steady on her feet. Bella didn't linger and slipped her hand from his as soon as she was up.

They had a lot to talk about first.

"I should have called bu—"

"You were arrested," Bella said, finishing his sentence.

Edward shook his head slightly. "How do you know?"

A laugh escaped her lips. "I know everything. I know you told Charlotte about the hit and run and that you felt sorry what you've done. I know about the three million dollar donation to Red Cross and every individual shelter in Seattle, as well as the funding to build seven more. I know about the three day long prison time you served, as well as the eighty-hour community service and slap on the wrist."

During her statement, Edward just stared at her wondering where she knew all of that. He had about a million questions he wanted to ask her, but one overrode them all.

"How's Danny?" he asked, concern laced with his words.

"Asking for Daddy day and night. Although, I have to admit he is pretty fond of your cousin."

"Charlotte?" he asked. "Where do you know her from?"

"Oh, this is a lovely story, I have no time to share right now. I have Lucy staying with Danny and even though he's feeling better, I'm not comfortable with leaving him on his own while he's sick. I came here to tell you this, though."

A deep breath later, she continued. "My father blamed me for my mother's death. Renee died at childbirth, and even though Charlie, my dad, was never abusive or was harmful in any way, he was uncaring – which was worse. I never had a parent figure in my life. I learned how to cook when I was twelve, I started working at fifteen and my biggest dream was to escape from Forks, my hometown.

"I grew up naïve. I had no one telling me when I was being manipulated and lied to in my face simply because I only ever communicated with my best friend and he'd never lie to me.

"The night I met you, I was stupid and immature. I couldn't see what was right in front of my eyes. I don't blame you for that night, Edward. I never did. I blamed myself for the stupid decisions I made. I'd never regret it, because that night we create a miracle. Neither of us wanted it, neither of us was ready to be a parent, but God be damned if I ever say I'm sorry."

Bella took a shuddered breath to keep her emotions in check. Edward's expression was one of shock, concern and regret all laced together. He couldn't understand the reason she was telling him all this, but he wasn't going to argue. She was speaking to him and they weren't yelling. More than that, she was sharing. There was no way he was going to stop her.

"The night we met it was my first night in Harvard. I roomed with Alice and she told me her brother was a senior and there was a party. I wanted to blend in and just went with the flow. I allowed Alice to dress me up in—"

"A short black, strapless dress and red fuck-me heels. No bra and lacy black thong."

Bella gulped and allowed her eyes to meet Edward's. He shifted on his feet and glanced at the floor, avoiding her eyes. "I had a lot of time to think about you and Danny. You know, prison and all."

Bella tried to speak again, but Edward shushed her, "I have to admit that night is too hazy. I don't remember much, but I remember you. In my head it is very real, so if I get you wrong again, feel free to slap me."

They laughed nervously as Edward recalled the memories from their one and only night together. "I was rough as fuck you. I knew you were...inexperienced. I knew you'd be hurt, I wasn't an idiot.

"That night," he said and stopped. His fingers ran through his hair, a nervous habit he had recently developed. "I…there is stuff about me, Bella—"

"I know," she whispered. "I know everything."

Awkwardly, she placed her hand on his cheek. "Charlotte came to my apartment yesterday… well technically today since she decided to make her surprise appearance after midnight. She's an amazing woman, by the way. I though all of you were bad, I guess there are some good ones left."

"All of _us_?" he questioned, resisting the urge to lean into her touch.

"The Cullens. Your family does not have a good reputation with me."

Edward nodded and allowed his eyes to roam Bella's face. She looked tired, dark circles surrounded her eyes, making them look larger, but more sad. His thumb gently traced the bags above her cheekbones.

"You're tired," he noted.

She nodded slowly and sighed. Her hand fell to her side at the same moment Edward stopped caressing her face. "I have to get back home."

"Let me drive you," he suggested, but Bella shook her head.

"I need some more time to think, Edward. Charlotte overwhelmed me with everything she said. Which also made me wonder why you never tried talking to me? I understand I was too bitchy for my own good, but put yourself in my shoes. I'm a single mother, barely managing to raise my child and you're a billionaire who can take my child away with a phone call. Of course I'm going to be overly protective."

"Were," he whispered.

"What?"

"You _were_ a single mother. I'm here and I'm going to take my place as his father no matter what. I love Danny, Bella and I'm not letting him go."

Her heart filled with unknown emotion. She sniffled and closed her eyes, trying not to let the waterfalls, fall.

"You're pushing it, dude," she said, ironically and winked at him before she walked toward the elevators. Suddenly, she remembered something she felt the need to apologize for ever since Charlotte told her.

"Hey…I'm sorry," she said, her hands sliding down the back pockets of her jeans.

"What for?"

She smiled and said, "Next year, you're going trick-or-treating with us."

As her face disappeared out of sight, Edward finally let a grin form on his face. He had never been so excited over Halloween.

**xxXxx**

"Welcome to Coffee Heaven. My name's Marie. What can I get you two today?" A welcoming smile met Edward as he browed through the menu placed on the wall behind the girl. Her blonde hair was pulled in a ponytail and on top of her head and she was dressed like an Elf.

"I have a question," Bella asked, pushing Edward slightly away from the register. "It's December 6th. Why is everything decorated for Christmas?"

Edward rolled his eyes and stepped in front of her, blocking her from the view of the girl currently taking their order with her mouth hanging open from Bella's random question.

"I'll have a double black coffee and the lady will have…" He glanced at Bella, urging her to order her beverage of choice.

Bella scoffed. "The _lady_ would like half-a-half black with milk." She mockingly emphasized on the word lady, causing Edward to shake his head.

"Sure," the woman behind the counter said. "Please go to the next counter, where you'll get your coffees. Have a great day. Next!"

"I don't think she liked us," Bella said, walking next to Edward to the other line of the store.

His body had a strange reaction when she said us, but he let it slide. Clearing his throat he added, "You insulted their decoration."

"I did not! I merely asked why they would decorate so early. Christmas is three weeks away!"

He shrugged, hearing the boy call for their orders. "Cullen Internationals is also decorated. It gives you a fake sense of holiday spirit and people are more joyous. Of course, they also want to leave early and be with their families…" He looked at her when he said the word family and softly smiled.

Bella took her drink from the boy behind the counter and opened the tab protecting the liquid from spilling and took a sip. "You're acting strange. Just tell me what you want and let's get it over with."

"Why would you say I want something?" he asked, opening the glass door for Bella and letting her walk first into the snowy afternoon. Despite City Halls' best try to clean the sidewalks and the streets as much as possible from the snow, it has been snowing nonstop for the past day and a half. Bella's boots left prints in the snow, as she handed her cup to Edward until she put her hat on. She lifted her scarf up and tightened it around her neck, before taking back her drink and taking a sip.

"Let's see," she said, looking up at him. His nose was turning red from the cold and small beautiful snowflakes were covering the bronze messy locks on top of his head. "You come to visit during my lunch break and took me for coffee. I know we talked yesterday, but—"

"I'm that transparent, aren't I?" He chuckled, cutting her off. "There are two things I wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay," she started cautiously. "Start talking. I have forty minutes left of my lunch break."

"I'm not stopping you from something, am I?"

Bella shrugged. "Just waxing appointment. I can postpone."

Edward lifted an eyebrow. "What do you wax? Your eyebrows?" He stared into her perfectly shaped brows just as one lifted suggestively.

"Lower," she said quietly and looked down, watching her feet as she struggled to keep her balance in the snow.

Edward gulped loudly and clenched his eyes shut at his stupidity. Two months ago, the first thought that would come to mind was that she kept herself bare. Now, however, he thought of her eyebrows.

He definitely needed to get laid. He couldn't remember the last time he had been with a woman for sex or any other satisfying pleasures. Surely, his hand has been his lover for the time being, but nothing could compare to the feeling of warm, tight walls surrounding his cock. Being a good father has been his number one priority for the past months and he had completely forgotten about his own needs.

Edward coughed and grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. She looked at him curiously, just as he pointed at the entrance of a lovely building.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Your new apartment."

Bella snapped at him, "Are you crazy? I told you I don't want you buying an apartment for me!"

He shook his head. "The only set of keys are currenty with the doorman." She tried to protest, but he didn't stop. "Yes, Bella, a doorman. Danny's safety is important. Yours too. I already bought it. It's completely furnished, all you have to do is move in. Danny will have his own room, with his own bathroom. The master suite is amazing. You have a private patio overlooking the park, some of the best schools are within walking distance—"

"Your apartment is within walking distance," she added.

He sighed. "Yes. I will be close to you, but I in no way will get in your way. I understand your need to keep me away from you, but don't separate me from Danny."Bella slowly shook her head. "I can't separate you. DJ loves you and I will only hurt him unnecessary."

"DJ?" Edward questioned.

"Yes. Daniel Jacob. Your son," she said with a hint of a smile.

Edward, of course, knew Danny's full name. He knew everything about his son that James Jenks could find. When he first got the information he didn't really make the connection, but now that he had, he was angry.

"You named my son after the man you used for insurance?" he hissed.

Bella gasped and glared at Edward. "Don't ever say that again! You have no idea what you're talking about. Jacob is a great person!"

"I'm really not interested in his personal characteristics! He has had more time with my son than I have!"

It wasn't a complete lie. He was angry that he had missed Danny's first months in the world, but that wasn't all. It was obvious that Bella had been serious with this Jacob. No woman would name her child after a man she doesn't love.

Unless he had knocked her up.

"Edward," Bella said. "Stop this. I feel like you're just trying to pick a fight over nothing. It's a done deal, Danny loves Jacob and Jacob is returning the same affection."

Bella had debated with herself, but decided to keep the lie up. She wasn't ready to trust Edward and telling him that Jacob was nothing more than a friend would be a good advantage of Edward's. She never really considered the idea of Edward feeling threatened from Jacob's part in Danny's life.

He ran his fingers through his hair and avoided Bella's eyes. "He had been there for all of the important moments in his life. Don't get me wrong, I understand whose fault it was, believe me. However, I can't stop beating myself up for all the things I had missed. His birth, his first steps, his first words…"

"Dada," Bella said, quietly. "His first words were Dada."

He looked at her then and saw a small blush creep up her neck and color her cheeks. "Um… about a year and a half ago, there was a newspaper article about you with this big picture that took over almost the entire page. You had just gained your first billion and Jacob showed me the newspaper, trying to assure me you were living your life and I wasn't doing wrong by raising Danny away from you. That evening, I went with the newspaper to Danny's room and showed you to him. He pointed at the picture and started saying Dada. I was so utterly freaked; I tossed the newspaper, grabbed Danny and got the hell out of the room. To this day, I have no idea what happened back then. I guess kids have some symbiotic relationship with their parents or whatever."

Edward's expression was one of disbelief. Bella took that as a sign to continue. "He started walking fairly soon, the end of June 2010 to be exact. As soon as he started walking, he started running. I aged ten years every time we went to the store."

"He had a pet, Jacob's cat. He loved this thing so much, no matter how much that pet scratched him."

"On his Christening, he cried like crazy and kicked Rosalie in the stomach," she chuckled and continued. "He was so cute. When the priest undressed him to bathe him in Holy Water he actually hid his penis."

Despite everything, Edward chuckled. "Come by tonight. I'll show you the baby albums. Don't think I forgot."

Edward reluctantly agreed, but the sadness was still scrunching up his face. Bella sighed and snapped her fingers in front of his face, earning herself a glare.

"There's the man I know," she said. "I know you missed a lot, but think about all the things you're going to be a part of — his first day of school, graduation, his first kiss, first girlfriend, first time getting drunk. He won't want to talk to me about half of those things. I don't even want to think about the conversation we might have as soon as he finds out his penis is not only for pee-pee."

This time, Edward laughed out loud. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome. Now, tell me what else did you want to talk about despite the outrageously big apartment you bought."

"One you will accept and move into?" he asked, hopefully.

"I'll think about it," she stated. "I'm not making any promises, though."

With a nod of his head, Edward spoke, "I'd like for Danny to spend Christmas with me, if that's okay with you."

Bella snorted. "Absolutely not. Daniel will spend every single Christmas with me until he turns eighteen, and by law I can't force him to spend it with his mother anymore."

Edward nodded, but Bella caught the disappointment in his eyes. "You have no one to spend the holidays with." It wasn't a question, and she wasn't mocking him. She was simply stating the sad fact that he would be alone.

"Don't worry about me, Bella," he said. "I'll be fine. I'm trying to guilt-trip you into something you don't want. I'm using everything Charlotte told you as my gain."

Bella could see right through his tough exterior, but didn't call on his bullshit. "I have no one to spend it with, either. Back in Boston, and even back in Forks, I had quite the holidays. This year is going to be only me and Danny. Which also leads me to something else."

"Yes?" Edward urged.

"How would you feel about spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us? I have to warn you, though, Danny gets crazy."

"I'll take it."

With a smile, he turned his back to the building they were sitting in front of and urged Bella to walk. "Do you have to be at work soon?" he asked.

Bella glanced at her watch and shook her head. "I still have about a half-an-hour. What do you have in mind?"

"I want to show you something."

Ten minutes later, Edward and Bella walked through the doors of Cullen Internationals. _Four__Seasons_ by Vivaldi was playing in the background, a huge Christmas tree was adoring one of the corners and lights were creating the illusion of a more comfortable working environment than in any other office building she'd ever walked in.

"Wow," she breathed. "That's…cool."

"You're great with those adjectives," he muttered.

"You're right. This is one breathtaking view with such harmonious calmness that just enchants you and gives an illusion of tranquil working environment with sensational—"

"Oh, shut up!"

Bella had a little victory dance as the receptionist welcomed them into the building. Bella couldn't help but notice that the woman was middle-aged and definitely more dressed than the one before her.

"What happened to your snappy secretary?" she asked.

"Long story," he said dismissively as he climbed into the elevator and pressed the button to his floor. Bella walked up to the full length mirror that replaced one of the walls and brushed out some of the smudged makeup below her eyes.

"Hold the doors, please," they heard someone yell.

Bella turned back to facing the doors when no other than Mike slipped past them as they had started to close.

With raised eyebrows and a glare, he acknowledged Bella. "Well, well. Look who's here."

"Don't talk to her, Newton," Edward spat and moved closer to Bella.

Mike forced out a laugh. "Funny thing. I kept calling you, but your cell phone was busy all the time. Tell me, Bella, what has you so preoccupied?"

"I told you I needed some time," she said in defense.

"Oh, no," he mocked. "Time for what? To think things through? I see you've had some time to handle your priorities, huh? Apparently you forgot all about Jacob and Rosalie as well. Fuck your friends, you have a billionaire daddy ready to buy you shit."

His words hit her worse than she thought they could. Edward grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him to the wall of the elevator that was opposite of Bella's.

"Don't fucking talk to her again! I'll fire your ass faster than a speeding bullet!"

"He's right," she choked out. "I did forget them all."

The elevator doors opened and Bella excused herself, all but running toward Edward's office. She tried to keep her emotions in check, but failed miserably as she sought the truth in Mike's words. He has always been one to call a spade a spade. He never sugarcoated things and always told what was on his mind.

"He's an ass and I'm getting rid of him as soon as his six month contract is over." Edward walked in behind her and closed the door to his office, shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the hanger by the door.

"He's not. He's telling the truth. I got into a fight with Rosalie and completely forgot about Emmett. Vanessa and Jacob call, but our conversations rarely passed a minute. Mike helped me so much after I gave birth and now I'm avoiding his calls. I left behind everyone I cared about, people who had helped me tremendously…"

"Um…I have no idea what to say to calm you down," Edward admitted.

Bella looked at him and smiled. "You just did."

"Look out the window," he said. With slow steps we walked up beside her and stared outside.

"You have a thing about windows, huh?" she teased.

"W-what," Edward stammered as various scenarios of taking Bella against that window filled his mind. Her pressed tightly against the cold glass, her nipples hardening from the cold while he took her from behind over and over again. Or, having her ankles locked on the small of his back, as he supported her weight by holding her ass. "I just like the view."

"Mhmm, so what did you want to show me?"

"Look down here," he said and pointed toward the building on the next street. "This is the most prestigious prep-school in Seattle. It's within walking distance from my office and about ten minute drive from yours."

He turned to the other side and pointed at different direction. "That is my apartment building, again within walking distance from the school. And this," he pointed to the left of his building, "is yours. It overlooks the park you like to bring Danny to and it also has a closed playground, way better than the one you go to now."

"Why are you showing me all this?"

"Take the apartment, Bella. You have nothing to lose. Have your lawyer look at the papers before you move out. It's all yours and I'm not going to interfere with your life."

"I—"

Groaning Edward pulled out his ringing cell phone. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." His brows were furrowed as he looked at the ID caller.

"What do you want?" he asked harshly.

Bella was taken aback by the way he answered his cell phone. She knew he was a douche and that he wasn't going to change overnight, but his harsh behavior still surprised her every time. She was only happy for not being on the other side of the line.

She leaned her back on the windows behind her and glanced around his desk. Her eyes fell upon Danny's picture and her heart swelled to a point she thought it might burst. All thoughts she might have about Edward not being one hundred percent behind the idea of being a father flew out the window.

She actually felt proud of him for a change.

"What?" Edward breathed out. His face had turned into unhealthy pale color as if the blood was drained from his face. His eyes were wide and unblinking, his hands trembling as his breathing quickened.

"Are you sure? Motherfucking answer me, Carlisle!" he yelled.

Bella's mouth fell open when she heard Carlisle's name being said. She knew Edward hated his father with passion and that he wouldn't call if anything bad hadn't happened.

"Of course I'm going to be there! You have to look good in front of your colleagues. Fuck you!" He threw the phone at the wall and it broke to pieces as his anger seeped through him.

"What happened?" Bella asked, tenderly. She didn't want to push him any further as she had felt first hand his anger on herself.

"It appears my sister and mother were involved in a car accident. Alice is in a coma, they don't think she's going to wake up, and my mother didn't make it. I have to be in Chicago tomorrow for the funeral."

"My God," Bella breathed, unsure what to do with her hands. She desperately wanted to hug him, or at least comfort him in any way. "My condolences."

Edward shook his head dismissively. "I was supposed to pick Danny from daycare tomorrow."

"Don't worry about that, Edward. I'll have Lucy take him home."

Sighing, Edward ran his hands up and down his face, roughly. Bella stared at him, unsure of what she was waiting for. Perhaps some sadness or anger, some emotion fitting for the news he had just received.

She saw nothing, but ignorance.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked, before she could stop herself.

"You don't have to do that for me. You don't need to be there."

"What if I want to be there?" she asked and for the first time since they stepped foot in the office, Edward smiled.

**xxXxx**

Bella was playing with her long, manicured nails and fought with the urge to glance sideways and see how Edward was doing. Danny had been asleep with his head on Edward's lap for most of the flight now, and ever since he asked for the blanket that Danny was previously tucking in with, he had remained quiet.

"Stop it," Charlotte hissed in her ear. She grabbed Bella's hand and intertwined their fingers together. "I can see you're worrying about him and you're not helping him this way."

They boarded the Cullen Internationals private jet three hours ago and were set to land in Chicago in two more. At first, Danny had been seated next to Bella, while Charlotte respectively took the seat next to Edward. One hour into the flight, Danny saw the look of distress on Edward's face and asked Bella if she would be sad had he sat next to his father. Edward heard their conversation and all but kicked Charlotte out of the recliner next to him.

Danny was still sick, but his cold was almost gone. He was still coughing occasionally and his nose kept running, but his temperature and vomiting had stopped.

At first, Edward only wanted to see Danny before he flew away, but then he reconsidered, knowing he would feel much better with his son by his side. Bella was reluctant before agreeing to allow Danny to go on that funeral. She was perfectly aware that the gossips would start the second Edward and his son stepped foot in Chicago. She didn't know if this would be the best solution, but eventually with a nod of her head, she had agreed.

Charlotte had been all over the place. Edward's behavior was ignorant. He finished his tasks for the day, going as far as taking a meeting in the dark hours of the evening. He called Bella before she fell asleep like he always did to check on Danny. He acted as if nothing at all had happened.

Bella felt like a fish in foreign waters. Sure, she had lost her mother as well, but she had no memory of her whatsoever. The natural instinct to help made her feel sorry for Edward, something he didn't appreciate at all. He had snapped at her only minutes before the plane left the barn. Her constant asking if he was handling everything has finally made him hiss at her, something he had yet to apologize for.

"I'm not worried _about_ him, I'm worried _for_ him. He just lost his mother and with Danny coming with us to that funeral after all you've said to me about your family…"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "See, this is where you have everything wrong. Let me tell you something, Skinny, I have never seen Edward look at someone like he looks at his son. He's rather kick some asses before allowing something to happen to him. You're just adding fuel to the fire right now."

Bella glanced at Edward, watching him gently caress Danny's hair. "He doesn't look angry." She observed.

"Trust me," Charlotte said, leaning back. "He's boiling inside right now. Let's just hope he won't bite his tongue and kill himself with his own poison."

Bella remained quiet for the rest of the flight, with a deep furrow between her eyes.

**xxXxx**

Bella hadn't been to many funerals in her life. Her father had told her years ago that they both had attended her grandmother Marie's funeral when she was two, but she had no memory of it. The other funeral she remembered what the one of Rebecca Black, Jacob's mother. She had held Jacob as he had cried and cussed, hating God and his mother for leaving them. She remembered the indescribable pain everyone had felt as they lowered Rebecca's coffin in the ground. Not many people had attended her funeral, but the sorrow was more than enough for them to handle.

As she walked in behind Edward through the doors of his childhood house, the first thing she noticed was that nobody was crying. On the contrary, people were drinking and laughing, only the black dresses and suits camouflaging their nonchalant behavior. Keeping her hand placed firmly on her son's shoulder, she made her way through the end of the room and sat down on the piano bench. She was mostly hidden from the guests, but she had a great sight of the entire living room.

"How are you feeling, baby?" Bella asked Danny, softly pulling at his bowtie. Vanessa had bought him this suit right before they left Boston. She had told Bella every man needs a suit.

Danny shrugged. "Wher' daddy?" he asked.

Bella took a deep breath, "Daddy is saying hello to some of his mommy's friends. He'll come see us soon."

"Bella," Bella turned her head at the sound and her eyes widened.

"Mr. Masen, what are you doing here?" She asked and stood up from the bench, extending her hand at Edward Masen's direction.

Edward gladly took it and placed a small kiss on her knuckles. His green eyes strikingly reminded her of her son's and of course, Edward's.

"I was a … friend of Esme's. Elizabeth is here with me as well," He looked down at Danny and smiled. "I guess this is your son?"

"_Our_ son," Edward corrected, pushing past Mr. Masen and standing protectively next to Bella. "Who the hell are you?"

"Edward," Bella chastised. "This is Edward Masen, Elizabeth's husband."

Both man stared in one another — Edward's look one of irritation, Mr. Masen's expression one of horror.

"It's true," Elizabeth said, her black cocktail dress clinging to her curves. She opened her handbag and took a manila folder out, extending it to Edward.

Edward snatched the folder from Elizabeth's hands and opened it.

"James Jenks? What does this have to do with anything?"

"Elizabeth," Mr. Masen chastised. "You didn't."

"I most certainly did. You may live in denial, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I met Bella and her son's father a month ago. They were having a walk when I ran into them. The resemblance between the two of you was fascinating. When he introduced himself as Edward Cullen, I knew. I just knew. I had Mr. Jenks run a background check on him. It's true."

Bella was feeling extremely out of place. She had no idea what Elizabeth was talking about, but by the look on Mr. Masen's face, she knew it wasn't something good. She had never seen him so pale.

"I…I had no idea," he stuttered. His eyes landed on Edward's. "I had no idea."

"Get the fuck out," Edward spat. His eyes were stinging and his entire body was shaking. He supported his body with one hand, placing it firmly on the baby grand. He didn't need the stupid folder to see what was right in front of him. Who was right in front of him — his father.

Memories from his childhood invaded his mind, without him wanting it. He couldn't help but think what his life might have been like if he hadn't been living with his parents. Maybe he wouldn't have turned out the way he was, maybe he would have had a real and amazing childhood.

Maybe he wouldn't even have met and ruined Bella's life.

His eyes turned bloodshot from the burning tears behind his eyelids. He didn't even feel Bella's hand firmly placed on top of his. Even the blind man could see the desperation in his eyes and Bella's heart broke for him.

Little sobs next to him, took him out of his haze. He glanced down just to see that Danny had crawled his way up on the piano bench. His small hand touched Bella's tenderly, before he firmly placed his palm on Bella's hand.

Edward thought his heart was going to burst. He had never felt anything remotely close to a family, or love and affection before. Seeing the silent support his son and Bella — the woman whose life he had ruined beyond repair — gave him was more than he ever thought he deserved.

He finally had a family.

He placed his other hand on top of Danny's and sniffed his sorrow. He gave Edward and Elizabeth the sting eye. "Stay the fuck away from me and my family."

Edward picked Danny up in his arms and placed his hand on Bella's lower back, before they left the house.

**xxXxx**

"We have gathered here this evening in God's presence as family and friends to remember the life of Esme Cornelia Platt-Cullen and to commend her soul into the gracious care of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We come together in grief, acknowledging our human loss.

"May God grant us grace that in pain we may find comfort, in sorrow hope, in death resurrection. We dare to celebrate the home going of our brother, friend and loved one because Jesus has promised and we believe his word to be true, _Because__I__live__ye__shall__live__also._ In this wonderful passage of scripture we find these words of assurance and hope.

"For some of us, Esme was an amazing lady, for others he was a friend. For Carlisle Cullen, he was a husband and for Alice and Edward, a mother…"

Bella silently watched the way Edward was gritting his teeth together. He had taken his respectful place next to Carlisle in front of the casket, while the other guests were seated on folding black chairs. Danny was seated in Bella's lap, even though there was an empty chair next to next. The boy had hid his head in Bella's neck, tiresome finally overwhelming him. Bella felt an arm sneak behind her back and give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Chocolate brown met sky blue and she smiled softly at Charlotte.

"May God bless her soul," the priest said and closed the Bible, stepping softly away from the coffin. Everyone stood up, some placed a rose on top of the mahogany casket, some threw dirt in the open grave, and some — like Charlotte — just left the cemetery.

Bella kneeled down next to Danny and helped him put his jacket over his suit. Most people had already left by the time she was done. She took her purse in her hand and offered the other one to her son.

"Come on, baby," she said softly.

With big, steady steps she started walking away. She merely tripped when Danny stopped walking. Curious, she turned her head in his direction, only to see his gaze planted firmly on his father's back. Edward had been the only one that had stayed next to Esme's coffin, his shoulders sagging with deep breaths.

"Can I go to daddy, Momma?" Danny asked, his big jade eyes and pouty lips making Bella succumb to his wishes.

She nodded her head and warned Danny to be careful as he ran in Edward's direction. As soon as he reached his father, he took Edward's hand in his small one and curled his small fingers around his, just like he had done in the hospital when they first spoke.

A single tear escaped Bella's eyes as she watched them. After all of the emotions she had ever felt for Edward — hatred, anger, fearsome, worrisome — she finally felt something else.

Pride.

She slowly walked next to Edward and glanced up at him. His cheeks were wet with tears, his bottom lip was trembling and the hand that wasn't holding Danny's was curled up in a fist.

"I hate you," he said. Bella looked up at him, only to see he wasn't talking to her. He was looking at the flowers covered casket. "You ruined my life, you ruined my chances to be a good father, to be a good person even. I will never forgive you for anything you've ever done to me, Esme. Never."

A sob broke through him. Danny tugged on his hand and smiled up at his father when their eyes met. "I lof you, Daddy."

Edward broke down. He looked at the ground as his shoulders shook with grief. He couldn't stop himself, no matter how hard he tried. A tear slipped down Bella's creamy cheek as she watched Edward's despair. She grabbed his fists and slowly uncurled his fingers. Their palms touched and she caressed his, before treading her fingers through his. He gave her hand a little squeeze and sighed softly.

"Thank you," he mumbled.

"You're welcome," she said.

Edward touched her cheek softly and brought her head to his shoulder. Her tear-stained face wetted his expensive suit, but he didn't care. He let go of Danny hand, just to hug him firmly to his body.

It was then and there, after his mother's funeral, after his confession to her, after his meeting with his real father he finally knew.

He was holding his real family in his arms.

* * *

**Are ****you ****a ****native ****English ****speaker?** No, I'm from Bulgaria. **When****'****s ****your ****birthday?** December 23rd. **Will ****Edward ****and ****Bella ****have ****happily ****ever ****after ****in ****this ****story?** Yes. **Has ****Bella ****slept ****with ****anyone, ****but ****Edward?** No. **Is ****this ****story ****on ****permanent ****hiatus?** No. I only placed it on hold, because I can't do frequent updates. I will finish "Paradise Lost" **Will ****Rosalie ****and ****Emmett ****get ****back ****together? **I don't think so. **Do ****I ****have ****a ****beta/pre-reader?** I do. My gorgeous, amazing, funny, beautiful, great friend — _Kitty __Vuitton_. **Is ****Charlotte ****a ****bitch?** No. She's straight-forward. I don't know why you hated her so much last chapter. **What ****will ****I ****study ****in ****and ****where? **Fingers crossed and hopefully I'll study English Philology in the University of Sofia next fall. As soon as I get my bachelor, I'm out. Moving to the States. Someone might need to shelter me until I find a job. Anyone agreeable? **Do ****this ****story ****has ****a ****Twilighted ****thread?** It does. Link is in my profile.


	21. And Then His Wish Came True

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated M (NC-17), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then His Wishes Came True_

**Christmas Eve**

"Shit," Bella hissed and brought her finger to her mouth to soothe the pain from the burn. She licked around it before pulling it out of her mouth to see if there would be any damage to her skin.

She had taken upon herself the task to make a fantastic Christmas for Danny and Edward. It would be a night of firsts – the first time she and Danny would be without Jacob, Vanessa and the gang, the first Christmas they would spend with Edward, the first time he would come to see how she's been settling in the new apartment he'd bought her and the first night he was going to stay.

Ever since they had come back from the funeral, things between them had been fantastic. Bella was keeping her snarky comments to herself and Edward was trying his hardest to stay in her good graces.

The relationship between the duo was a sore thumb for a lot of people, but for Danny it was bliss. Lately he got to spend all of his outings with both of his parents and not just one, something that made him smile that goofy smile which made both his mother and his father fall to their knees.

Christmas Eve has been talked and talked about for the past weeks. The preparations Bella made were followed to the T. She went as far as making a list just to assure herself everything would go smoothly.

The decorations she made in her new penthouse were more than enough to decorate a Mall. She and Danny have been moving for the past week and with each passing day she made sure to make the otherwise cold looking apartment, homier. Pictures were on display on the walls, mostly of Danny and her, but also some of Jacob, Nessie and even Rosalie and Emmett. Bella had invited Jacob and Vanessa for New Years Eve. Ever since Mike made his hurtful comments in the elevator of Cullen Internationals, Bella couldn't stop thinking about the fact she had abandoned them. She realized that in her need to be independent, she left her friends behind, something that greatly pained her.

With everything settled the day before, Bella had woken up early in the morning of the twenty-fourth and had started cooking everything from mashed potatoes and beans filled peppers to Christmas cookies with vanilla and chocolate frosting. She had just been adding the final touches to the dinner table when she had hurt her finger on a hot plate.

A ringing on the door made her curse very unlady-like. Bella glanced at the watch on her wrist and cursed herself again for taking so much time with the dinner. It was six o'clock and the person on the other side of the door was without a doubt — Edward.

Bella groaned and whipped her hands in the apron she was wearing before tightening the elastic holding her hair. She walked to the door and widely opened it, smiling gently at Edward.

"Is he awake yet?" he asked, holding several big boxes wrapped in different kinds of packaging and bows.

"Why, I don't know Santa, I was cooking." She teased him and moved to the side, allowing him to enter.

His eyes swept across the apartment and he whistled. "You did a good job with this place."

Blushing, she said, "Thanks. I didn't have much time, so…"

"It's great."

They awkwardly stared at each other before Bella proclaimed she had to go and take a shower. She instructed Edward to go and wake Danny up and help him get dressed while she took some time to fix herself up.

Bella all but ran to her room and stripped down to her underwear, when she realized she had forgotten to take a towel with her.

"Damn it," she cursed, before freeing her hair from the ponytail and quickly skipping to the laundry room, making sure no one saw her. As soon as she stepped foot in the room, though she was met with Edward's piercing gaze.

His eyes hungrily roamed over her barely-clad body. If his intention was to be discreet he was doing a terrible job. His green irises settled on her breasts before slowly making their way down her toned stomach, until they finally settled on the blue satin fabric covering the place he wanted to explore again and again and again.

It had been too long, far too long since he has been with a woman, far too long since he's seen one wearing so little. He was a man after all, a man with very long sexual history, one that held stories which would make a producer in the pornography industry blush.

Dry periods were definitely not something he had signed for when he decided to be a father. Surely, he never intended on having any desires toward Bella, but nevertheless he hadn't considered the fact that Danny's presence would make his sexual life suffer.

But it did.

After all that had happened between them, he didn't want to come across as a pervert. Some small part of him did remember that the gentlemanly thing to do would be to turn around and cover his eyes while she was able to collect her needed clothing. Seventy-two days without any sexual satisfaction though spoke louder than any manners. He just couldn't make his eyes swift from her body.

Bella's ears turned red as she squirmed under his gaze. "I forgot my towel," she answered truthfully.

He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving her body as he licked his lower lip. "Fuck the towel."

"Edward," she warned and took a step back. His eyes never left her voluptuous curves and he all but growled when he had her trapped against one of the walls in the small room. The buzzing from the working dryer was the only sound in the room apart from Bella's heavy breathing. Edward stood there cool as a cucumber as he gladly enjoyed the sight of the beautiful woman standing in front of him clad only in her underwear.

Hearing the door open, made Edward step as far away from Bella as possible. The parents' gazes snapped at the open door both sights met with their son's sleepy, puffy eyes and messy hair.

"Why you he'e so long, Daddy?" Danny asked.

"Just talking to Mommy, buddy. I'll grab your bathrobe and come get you, okay?" Edward said, looking at his shoes.

"'Kay," Danny agreed and walked out of the room, leaving Bella and Edward in a very uncomfortable silence.

"I'll…uh…yeah," Bella stuttered and grabbed the first towel she saw before flying out of the room as if he Devil himself was chasing her.

Her feet touched the wooden floor only for seconds as she hurried her way down the hall. As soon as she reached the white door of her bedroom, she opened it and forcefully shut it, turning the golden lock on the door and effectively shielding herself from Edward's presence.

Her heart was beating faster than ever and her breathing was labored. Goosebumps traveled up and down her body like an electroshock. The nape of her neck felt hotter than usual and the warmth seeped down her body, until it reached between her legs. A strange feeling of tightness overwhelmed her and unconsciously her hand found its way down her body and to her aching nub.

Bella had felt orgasms in her life. Despite the fact she brought them on all by herself, she'd felt the bliss and the comfort of a release. However, she never had that feeling. The feeling of enjoying a man's desire written all over his features. Her first time with Edward had been nothing but a passionate release only Edward had. She could have been anyone back then, but now, it was her body his eyes roamed over, it was her who took his breath away, and it was her who made him hot and bothered.

The feeling was amazing, but at the same time disturbing.

She didn't want to have that effect on Edward. She didn't want him to have that effect on her. All Bella wanted was a stable enough environment for her son to grow up at. Sexual desire with Edward Cullen out of all people was not something she added to the plans.

Bella shook her head roughly and hurriedly ran her fingers through her hair, untangling the loose curls before she hopped into the shower.

Meanwhile, Edward was beating himself up for acting the way he did. It wasn't his intention to come off as an insensible prick, who only wanted to fuck. Even though he was an insensitive prick who only wanted to fuck, he didn't want to appear like that to her.

Rolling his eyes, his unbuttoned the small buttons on his sleeves and rolled them to his elbows. Running his long fingers through his hair, he grabbed Danny's bathrobe and walked out of the laundry room.

He walked into his son's room only to find him jumping on the bed. The room looked much better than the one he had at his own penthouse. The walls were painted in multiple shades of blue and green. Pictures and posters were covering them. His bed was positioned in the end of the room, right in front of the windows.

Edward laughed and tossed the bathrobe over his shoulder. Walking fast toward Danny, he grabbed him by the middle while he was in mid-air and carried him to the bathroom. The giggling child squirmed and filled the air with his baby laugh, something that made Edward's heart swell.

Edward set him down on the tilted floor and pulled Danny's shirt over his head. He tossed it somewhere behind him and helped the child ease out of his jeans and underwear. Picking him up again, Edward set him into the white ceramic tub and adjusted the water, so it wasn't too hot, or too cold.

"Come here, kid," he told Danny and guided him under the spray of water, hoping he wouldn't get wet. When he bathed Danny for the first time, he ended up wetter than his son.

After wetting Danny's hair and body, Edward took the baby shampoo from the cabinet above the sink and squeezed some of the blue liquid in his palm. Gently he transferred the shampoo from his hand to Danny's hair and started rubbing it until white foam formed all over his head.

Edward took the shower head again and rinsed the shampoo from Danny's head.

"Daddy, you know who come for Nu Yer?" Danny asked, rubbing out the water that had fallen into his eyes.

Edward chuckled, touching his head to rinse the remaining shampoo. "No, I don't. Want to tell me?"

Surely, Edward knew Bella had told their son he'd be joining them for New Year's Eve. Hearing the excitement in Danny's voice though, made his head beat impossible fast.

"My othe' Daddy, Jwake," Danny squealed.

Fury and sadness battled inside of Edward. Every single day he wanted to rip Jacob's head off, but nothing could compare to the anger and rejection he felt in that moment. Edward couldn't help the feeling of sorrow as well. Rejection from Bella pained him, but rejection from Danny felt like agonizing death.

The corners of Danny's lips fell down. "You okay, Daddy?"

Nodding his head slowly, Edward faked a smile. "Sure buddy."

"You is my favou'te Daddy!" he proclaimed.

Edward smiled, but he said nothing.

He finished his son's shower and surprisingly only the cuffs of his dress shirt got wet, despite having them pulled up. Edward dressed Danny quickly in the clothes Bella had laid down on the bed after completing the shower and towel drying his hair.

"Edward," Bella yelled from the kitchen. "Is Daniel ready?"

Happy she didn't use his entire name, Edward responded, "Yeah. I'm putting his socks on, but those fuc— garments take time."

"The biscuits are done and the chocolate is on the table," she hollered, obviously not hearing Edward.

"Bicuts!" Danny screamed. He kicked Edward's hands away and ran out of the room with one bare foot.

Edward snorted watching Danny almost trip on his own feet while he ran toward the kitchen. He was sure his son could survive only on those biscuits Bella kept feeding him with. He couldn't lie though, those things were delicious.

His cell phone started ringing and he gritted his teeth together. He had no desire whatsoever of speaking with someone from the outside world. He was perfectly content and happy at Bella's apartment with his son.

The ringing stopped, only to start again moments later. Furious, Edward dug through the pockets of his slacks and took a firm hold of his cell phone.

"Cullen," he spat.

"Good evening, Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry for the intrusion so late at night and on the holidays, but I must speak of you. It's urgent."

"Who the hell is this?"

"Of course, my apologies. I'm Doctor Eli Rodriguez, I did the paternity test of yourself and your son, Daniel Jacob."

Edward breathed in deeply though his nose when Jacob's name was mentioned again. "What's this all about?"

"I'm very sorry to tell you this, but there has been an error in the clinic when your test was done. I don't know how to say this, but-"

"Are you trying to fucking tell me that Danny is not my son?"

"No, no. It's not that. My apologies—"

"Stop fucking apologizing and start talking."

"Mr. Cullen, we definitely need to speak face-to-face. News like those can't be told via the phone."

Edward's heart skipped a beat. The fury that has previously overtaken his emotions was quickly replaced with concern.

"Is there something wrong with Danny, or Bella?" he asked.

The silence he was met with on the other side of the line answered his question.

"The family that Susan had switched samples with had decided to take yearly tests for every known disease. Since their family has a history of—"

"Let me get this one thing clear," Edward hissed venomously. "I couldn't care less about what Susan did or what the other family wanted to be tested for. Tell me what the fuck is wrong with my family!"

Dr. Rodriguez sighed. "I can't give you any specific results, because they're being re-checked. We will have an answer with complete certainty within the month."

Edward slammed his fist in the door. "Listen to me you motherfucking asshole, I can ruin you with a single phone-call, what did the initial result show and whose fucking test are we talking about here?"

"I can't tell you. I'm very sorry, Mr. Cullen. We will have a result within the next four wee—"

Edward hung up the phone and sent it flying toward the opposite wall. The device smashed its touch-screen when it forcefully collided with the wall and broke to pieces when it hit the ground.

Breaking heavily in his distress, Edward didn't even hear Bella walking into the room.

"What happened?" she asked frantically, pushing the curled strands of hair framing her face, behind her ear.

Her eyebrows were furrowed deeply when Edward's eyes fell upon her face. The black eyeliner she had on her lids was making her eyes bigger. Even though the fire-red lipstick she had on would usually tear his gaze away from her eyes, Edward couldn't imagine losing the image of her chocolate orbs right now.

Unconsciously, his arms curled around her middle and he gently pressed her against the opposite wall. His hands didn't linger on her body; instead he placed them with open palm on the sides of her waist.

The gentle Christmas music that could be heard from the living room was barely registered by Edward and his frantically beating heart. The though of not seeing Bella again was too much to bear. So little time had passed and yet, now, he couldn't imagine living in a world where she didn't exist.

He didn't know what that burning sensation in his chest was, but he didn't like it.

"What's going on," she breathed. She was worried. In the time she has known him he had never acted to…scared. Bella didn't know what scared him, but what she knew with absolute certainty was that his fears were hers as well.

Somewhere along the way they had started working as one. Two minds thinking as one, two bodies working as one…two hearts beating as one. As much as she fought it, she could no longer deny it.

It wasn't all about Danny anymore.

Leaning in, Edward's lips barely touched her forehead, before he whispered softly, "I'll tell you in a month."

He was out of the door, before Bella could blink.

**XxXxx**

**New Years Day**

"I figured I'd find you here," Jacob said.

Bella looked over her shoulder and smiled at her best friend. She uncurled the death grip she had on the ends of the blanket she'd picked up on her way out to the patio — and opened one of the ends. Jacob chuckled and sat next to her on the bench, curling one of his arms around her shoulders and covering his back with the rest of the blanket. Bella held out the hand that was still holding her end of the blanket and took the hand in which Jacob was holding the other end. Entwining their fingers together, she successfully covered them entirely with the blanket, creating a cocoon.

"Just like when we were kids," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.

Jacob kissed her forehead and rested his cheek over her head. "Yeah, however when we were kids you weren't living in a penthouse with your bast— child."

"Not now," she sighed softly.

She had heard all of those things being yelled by Jacob since the moment he landed. When Bella told him about her newfound companionship with Edward, Jacob flipped out. He all but dragged her back to Boston the second she told him how close she was allowing Edward to Danny.

The scandal continued in the penthouse where Jacob didn't shut up. Vanessa's fruitless attempts to calm him down only resulted in more fights. Tired and hurt, Bella had retreated to the patio of her penthouse to just stay alone with her pain.

Bella knew what would happen before she even dialed Jacob's number. She hated to admit it, but his reaction was one of the things that stopped her from speaking to him sooner about the things that were happening in her life lately. She knew he wouldn't understand. Truth be told, even she didn't understand, but that was something she needed to worry about herself.

Finding understanding in Jacob wasn't something she planned. She expected everything that had happened, so she wasn't disappointed.

"I love you," Jacob said. "I love you so much, Bella. Never forget that. You and Danny are everything to me."

"Don't let Nessie hear you say this," Bella joked.

He shook his head. "Vanessa knows I love her on an entirely different level. You and Danny are what I call a family, B."

"We're also Edward's family," she said, looking up.

Felling Jacob's grip on her loosen, she gripped his leg. "Listen to me Jake: he's a very, very broken man. I'm not trying to defend him and I'm not making excuses for him, but I've seen it! I've seen his childhood and I've seen his life before he met Danny. I also witnessed his transformation after he met our son."

"Our son?" he asked, mockingly. "Since when is it our son?"

She smiled weakly, "It's always been."

Jacob leaned back away from her, his mouth slightly open in shock, "Do you have feelings for him Bella? Do you love that asshole?"

Bella looked up, looking apologetic. "Jake…I…"

"Momma!" Danny's voice stopped her words. Jacob looked over his shoulder and saw Danny running toward Bella. He couldn't connect the face of the child before him with the one he'd helped Bella raise.

Only a couple of months have passed and yet, it felt so much more.

Bella turned around and smiled sweetly when she saw Danny approach. He stopped dead on his tracks when his eyes fell upon Jacob. Surprise was evident all over his face. Danny's little hands balled into fists and furiously rubbed his eyes. The child wondered if he was dreaming.

"Uncle Jwake?" he asked, his voice laced with doubt.

Bella chuckled slightly, but her smile left her face fast when she saw Edward staring into her intensely from the patio doors. He was too far away for her to actually see his face clearly, but she still recognized the expression over his features.

He was livid.

Jacob jumped from the bench, leaving the end of the blanket he was holding fall to the ground. Two long steps later he has holding Danny in his arms, hugging his little body close to his. Jake buried his nose in Danny's hair, inhaling his godson's scent. He didn't realize how much he'd missed him until this moment.

"Edward," Bella spoke, standing up from the bench. "We need to talk."

Upon hearing Edward's name, Jacob's head snapped toward the father of the child he was currently hugging. Jake's nostrils flared with anger and he wondered if he could get away with murder if he lounged into him and beat him up.

"Jake," Bella said in warning. "You're holding Danny."

"What's going on?" Vanessa asked, sneaking up from behind Edward. She looked up at him and gasped, "Green-eyed ginger! I thought only my family was producing those."

Jacob, who previously glared at Edward, was now flaring as he watched his girlfriend speak with him. He knew something like this was going to happen from the moment he spoke with Bella. She'd warned him Edward would also be there, but he never considered it being the truth. He couldn't comprehend how she'd let him in her life after all he'd done to her.

However, hearing her hesitation from minutes before, he had a pretty good reason why she was playing family with that man.

Realization knocked Bella like a bulldozer. She hadn't made the connection and she could only wonder what was about to happen when Vanessa finally introduced herself.

Vanessa laughed again and arched an eyebrow at Jacob. "Relax, Jake. I'm not going to flirt with him, I'm making small talk. You're Edward Cullen, I assume? Jake usually doesn't give cold shoulder to anyone, by the way. I'm Vanessa. Vanessa Masen."

"Fuck," Bella hissed slowly under her breath.

"Are you in any way connected to El…Elizabeth Masen and Edward Masen?" Edward asked, cautiously, his hands balling up in fists.

Faith was seriously playing a joke with him.

"Yes," Vanessa exclaimed. "They're my aunt and uncle. Edward is my father, Garrett's brother. Where do you know them from?"

Bella's knees were trembling with anxiety. She was battling between asking Edward to leave with Danny, and calling 911 for the inevitable fight that was closely approaching. She should have known this wasn't a good idea. She should have known, but she didn't.

Edward sighed deeply and extended his hand in Vanessa's direction. "Edward Masen is an investor in my company. It's great to make you an acquaintance."

Bella release a breath, she didn't know she was holding. She walked over to Jacob and hissed into his year not to even think about ruining Daniel's night. She knew if there was anything that could tame Jacob, it was Danny.

"Let's…all go inside, shall we? Dinner's cooking."

**xxXxx**

Ten minutes to midnight, Edward was sitting on the patio bench with his head in his hands. His head was pounding and he wondered if he should just leave the apartment since Danny was already asleep.

However, there was still a part of him that didn't let him walk away. After the most awkward dinner in history had finally ended, Bella kept trying to approach him, but she was always stopped by something.

The sight of her in Jacob's arms was enough for him to lose it. He was patting himself on the back for actually being strong enough and not ripping Jacob to shreds for touching her. He had already had her; he was the one who lost her.

And Edward was the one who was trying to win her.

Groaning, Edward glanced at his watch. Eight minutes to midnight. This had to be the first New Year in which he wasn't partying. Usually his celebration consisted of hookers, clubs and drinking until he fell unconscious.

"I should kill you, you know?" Edward heard a voice from behind him and turned around only to see Jacob, looking at the sky.

Chuckling darkly, Edward responded, "I'll tear you limb by limb first."

Silence surrounded them, when Edward finally spoke, minutes later, "I love my son, Jacob. I'm not going to leave him, and I'm not going to leave Bella as well. I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play, but it won't work."

"I look at Danny," Edward continued. "Every day I watch him and I couldn't even picture leaving his side. He's…he's everything to me. Some days…sometimes more than others, I hate Bella. I hate her for keeping him away from me for so long. I hate her for not opening her heart for me, I hate her for not trusting me with Danny, but damn it, I'll grit my teeth for as long as I need to just to have them near me. I'll try with my last breath to assure her I'm good enough for her and our son."

Jacob's nostrils flared. "She was doing fine without you. She was living her live while she was with me."

Edward's entire expression hardened. He jumped from the bench he was sitting on and stepped forward until he was breathing in Jacob's face. His green eyes held fury and his body slowly shook from the intensity he was tensing his muscles with.

"They're my family. You missed your chance. Stay the fuck away from Bella and Danny."

Jacob smirked and wickedly licked his lower lip. "Perhaps DJ is…your family, I mean. But Bella," his words were said low with a hint of mocking laced in them, "will never be anything more than the mother of your child."

"Shut the fuck up," Edward hissed.

"Why? Truth cuts deep, you son of a bitch? I was the one who rubbed her back while she had her morning sickness, I was the one whose hand she clutched when she heard DJ's heartbeat for the first time, I was the one who cut the cord and I was the one who held him first in his arms," Jacob stepped impossibly closer to Edward and smirked down at the fuming person in front of him. Slowly, he spat the next words in his face, "I was the one that took care of all her needs. Did you know that pregnant women have increased sexual libido?"

"Jacob!" Bella spat. Both men turned to look at her. "Vanessa was looking for you."

"Bella—"

"Inside, Jacob!" she hissed.

Glaring at Edward one final time, he walked pass Bella and walked into the apartment. She shook her head after him and wondered how much more bullshit he had fed Edward with before she walked out to look for him.

"Your ex-fiancé and you seem to be pretty close," Edward noted.

She shook her head and walked until she was standing directly in front of Edward. "He's talking rubbish. Don't mind him, Edward."

"I'm not an idiot, Bella. I fully understand I screwed up. You'd had other relationships, don't—"

"I didn't," she spoke. "I didn't have relationships. Never had. Jacob is my best friend. We grew up together and he moved to Cambridge to be with me when I got pregnant. We were never romantically involved. I didn't have time for relationships, Edward. I was a teenage mother."

"Bella, I'm not the one to judge…look, I don't want to know about…your sexual life. I'm sorry I brought it up, it's none of my business."

Groaning from embarrassment, Bella grabbed a hold of Edward's chin and forced his eyes to look at hers. "What Jacob said was a lie. I did have an increased sexual libido, but I didn't act on it."

"You've never slept with Jacob?" Edward asked, annoyed by his own curiosity. He didn't want to pry Bella for details, especially those he didn't want to know the answer of.

"I never slept with anyone, but you."

Her eyes closed as she heard the faint sounds of a countdown somewhere from behind them. As first firework lit the sky like a supernova, Edward's hands cupped her cheeks. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to hers just as people shouted "Happy New Year"

It was the best New Year's Eve Edward ever had.

* * *

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Why would he call Edward and not Bella, since she's the mother?** - Chapter 11(first paragraph) - They don't have contact details for Bella. **Why would Edward leave the house Christmas?** - He didn't. He left the room. **Why was Jacob such an ass?** - Overprotective asshole. No worries, Bella will have his balls for that. **Who's Susan?** - The lab technician. No one important. **Is Danny not Edward's?** - No. Danny is Bella and Edward's son.

**Beta'd by KittyVuitton.**


	22. And Then She Hated Him

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated M (NC-17), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then __She Hated Him_

Daniel Cullen Swan was a gorgeous child. Sure, his parents were both attractive, but his beauty wasn't limited only to physical appearance. Despite the fact his starry, jade eyes could make a grown person fall to his feet, he possessed beauty that a lot of people lacked, his father included. Danny was a personable, open-hearted and overjoyed child; he was beautiful both inside and out and nobody could contend the opposite.

Danny was Mommy's sun and Danny's newfound reason to live. He was Uncle Jacob's soft spot and Vanessa's handsome little man. He was the cause for Emmett's desire for children and the reason for Rosalie's belly laughs. He was Lucy's favorite child in the group and he was even able to warm his grandfather's cold heart.

Every time Danny laughed, someone smiled. People on the streets have passed him and turned their heads around just to continue looking at this handsome child with contagious laugh.

For Edward, Danny was more than his son — he was also his best friend. He couldn't pinpoint the exact place everything changed, because he alone didn't know it. He didn't know when his son's hugs became something he yearned for all day and he didn't care for as long as he was near him.

Edward loved him, plain and simple.

Love was a powerful emotion. It made you do things you never thought you'd be able to do. People have been ready to do anything for the sake of love and happiness for decades, for the well-being of the ones they love. Love has always been the most powerful emotion a person could feel: love doesn't listen to reason and it doesn't over think. Love doesn't ask, it just happens and throws you off the loop.

However, love is never an unwelcome surprise.

A shiver ran down Bella Swan's back as those thoughts filled her conscience. Still half-asleep, she nuzzled closer to the only source of heat she was feeling and inhaled until her senses were filled with rich musky scent, one of a male's cologne. Her eyes shot open as she suddenly realized where she was and who she was currently laying _on_.

Grimacing, she tried to lift her head from Edward's chest as slowly as possibly, trying not to wake him up. The bright light from the cold January morning was hurting her eyes and she groaned when her head started to pound. Her entire body was stiff from the cold and the awkward position she had fallen asleep on. Bella hoped there was still some chance she hadn't caught a cold since the outdoor fireplace hadn't stopped working and the bench she and Edward were currently laying was positioned in front of it.

"I've been awake for about ten minutes now, but it's good to see you struggle," Edward said, humor laced with his words.

"Jesus," Bella gasped, startled to hear Edward's voice. Although he had probably said it quietly, to her ears it felt like he was screaming.

She needed coffee, lots and lots of coffee.

Bella smiled softly and placed her open palm on Edward's chest, using it as leverage to push herself up. She almost stood in a sitting position, when Edward's hands crabbed her by the waist and crashed her back to his side. Bella laughed and pinched him just below the ribs, earning herself a hiss from him.

"That's not a good way to wake up," Bella said, lifting her head from his shoulder and pressing her chin to his chest, until she was looking up at him.

Edward arched a disapproving eyebrow at her. "What's not good about it? When was the last time you woke up in a balcony patio after spending the entire New Year Eve making out on a bench?"

She huffed and tried to stand up again, but he tightened his arms on her.

"You're an asshole," she mumbled, making Edward chuckle. After a moment she said, "We should talk about last night."

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Edward held it in, until he breathed it out. "Now?"

To be honest to her, and him, Edward had no idea what last night meant. He didn't have the intention of making out with Bella for a good couple of hours until they dozed off on the bench out of all places. Something about the fact that no man has ever touched her, but him, made something animalistic in him waken up.

Edward has been known as the person who offered his own girlfriend-of-the-week to a college frat party. He didn't do jealous, he didn't have possessive tendencies — never had. However, the thought that nobody has been with _her_, caressed _her_, pleasured _her_ in any way, penetrated _her_ besides himself was indescribable. If anything, it made his attraction to Bella ten times more than before.

"Don't try to escape this conversation, Edward," Bella said, previous playfulness lost. She meant business. "Look, I have no intention of starting a relationship of any kind. My son and my job are the only responsibilities I have and I don't want more. Trust me when I say this, I don't wa—"

Bella's eyes widened when Edward's palm closed over her mouth silencing her up. He knew it was an asshole move, but she was too far away for him to kiss-her-silent.

Not that he would have. With him, what you have is what you get.

"I never said I would avoid the conversation, I just asked when you wanted to have it. To tell you the truth, I don't know what last night meant, I don't even know if it meant something at all. It was…a New Years kiss…"

Bella pressed her lips tightly. "Yeah…sure. I…um…you're right. You're right."

"You two give me a headache and I already have hangover. Seriously, the billionaire Daddy couldn't buy some quality alcohol?" Vanessa said, walking into the patio with a cup of steaming hot coffee in her hands. A long, thick wool vest was draped over her shoulders, reaching her ankles.

Bella blushed and Edward shuffled uncomfortably. Last night's introduction to Vanessa Masen wasn't something he could easily forget. His newfound family line was growing bigger and bigger and he was equally confused and angry at the same time.

Vanessa was his cousin. He had an aunt and an uncle somewhere. He had a father, probably siblings as well. He briefly wondered if he had any grandparents alive, but he quickly shook that thought out of his head.

This wasn't his family.

"You two are cute, but I'd suggest you chop-chop and leave the … _discomfort_ of this bench. Jacob is waking up and I sure as hell don't want a repeat of last night's performance."

Bella opened her mouth to speak, but Vanessa continued. "The handsome little guy is awake and asking for Mommy. He said he's tired and he doesn't want to get up, so one of you should probably go and check on him. And lastly," she said enthusiastically, "if you think for one second that PG-13 rated soft porn last night was a New Years kiss you're out of your damned mind."

Bella shrugged away from Edward and this time he had no problems letting her go. Vanessa's words felt like a bucket of cold water thrown over them. They were playing family when they were so many questions left unanswered, so many bumps on the way they didn't know if they could overcome them.

"I'll go check on Danny," she said, brushing down the dress she had on from last night.

"Bella," Edward stood up from the bench and continued, "I want to talk."

"You were the one who stopped me from conversing about it. What more do you want to talk about?"

Edward sighed irritated and waved her away. "I'll talk to you later."

Bella furrowed her eyebrows together, but didn't say anything else on the topic. "You said Danny was awake?" she asked, addressing Vanessa.

Vanessa nodded, taking a sip from her coffee. "Yes. Up and grumbling in bed."

Bella avoided Edward's gaze as she retreated from the balcony. She read too many questions in his expression, questions she still didn't have the answer of. What was last night? Was there something more to happen? Were they friends, or something more? Was that even possible?

All Bella knew was that she was attracted to Edward. That wasn't something that surprised her, though. Edward was handsome and being allured by him is the normal reaction. However, what bothered her was that she wasn't sure if it was only his looks she was feeling a pull toward.

Was she actually getting to like the person Edward was? That was what troubled her.

Seeing Bella's departure, Edward grabbed his suit coat and tossed it over his bended arm. He ran his fingers quickly through his hair taming it down and started walking toward the door.

Edward walked through the door and immediately noticed the distress on Bella's face. He furrowed his eyebrows and walked toward her slowly and deliberately. Bella's hand was curled around her cell phone and she clutched it to her ear as she explained slowly Danny was yet again having a fever.

Bella ended the conversation and turned to Edward with a worried expression on her face.

"He's getting sick again. I wonder if I should take him to the hospital," she said, rubbing soothing circles with her fingers on her temples.

"Who were you talking to?" Edward asked, pressing his back to the beige wall of the living room.

Bella sighed. "My boss. There's a problem with the shipment to Ghana and he wants me to go to the office immediately. I told him I can't leave Danny, but—"

"I'll take him," Edward offered. "It's been a while since I spend some time alone with him, anyway."

Bella shook her head and placed her cell phone on the table. "No way. I'm not going to leave my sick son to go deal with Mr. Summers' incompetent staff."

"Do you not trust me?" Edward asked. "Having Danny when he's unwell I mean?" He looked deeply into her eyes and smirked. "Bella, as incredulous as it might seem to you, I have gotten sick as well. I can take care of him."

Groaning, she replied, "You can't stay here, though. Jacob and Vanessa are here and although all Vanessa might do is try to befriend you, I don't trust Jake. I still have to kick his butt for yesterday."

"I live close by," Edward said, with a glow in his eyes. "I'll take him to my apartment. He'll even spend the night."

"No," Bella interjected immediately. "I'm not comfortable with having him away from me when he's sick."

Edward shrugged. "So come and spend the night with us, then."

The simplicity of the questions scared the hell out of Bella. It was like a big red stop sign flashed in front of her and broke through her skin electing goosebumps all over her body.

"Momma," Danny yelled from the bedroom. "C'mere."

"I'll go," Edward said, tossing his jacket on the back of the chair. "You go to work."

His obvious change of mood rocked Bella. Before she could explain her reaction, he was rounding the corner. Defeated, she walked in the opposite direction and started preparing herself for work.

**xxXxx**

Emmett raised his eyes from the laptop as he heard the knock on the front door. His eyes slowly travelled to the clock and he saw it was twenty minutes past midnight. He straightened up on the couch he was sitting on and pulled the pencil from behind his ear and tossed it on the table. His back cracked as he stood up and he hissed when he tried to walk with his numbed legs. He had been sitting in the same position for hours now, finishing the last project his company had taken.

Walking to the door, Emmett opened it without asking who it was. Standing on the other side was Rosalie, clutching a picnic basket in her hands. Her hair was perfectly straightened and her long pea-coat was in the same shade of red as her lipstick.

"Hi," she mumbled. "Can I come in?"

Emmett sighed and opened the door wider, "What do you do here, Rose?"

"Um," she started, watching him close the door behind her. "It's…it's our anniversary and we always have picnic together, so—"

"We broke up! That means no more anniversaries, no more kisses, no more touches, no more chances. Do you have any idea what you did to me, Rose? How much you've hurt me? Why do you keep coming and pouring salt in the wounds?"

"Because I can't give up," she yelled. "I can't let you go. I can't just stand aside and watch the only good thing in my life walk away from me!"

Emmett took a step in her direction and glared down at her, "Was this what you were thinking about while you fucked Cullen, huh? How I'm the best thing that ever happened to you. Well, you definitely have some fucked up ways of showing your affection."

"Why do you keep bringing this up?"

"Why did you keep fucking him?" Emmett shot back.

This stopped her. Her chin trembled and she fought the tears burning into her eyes. Rosalie was sick of crying, sick of hurting. She understood perfectly her mistake, but there was nothing she could do to change things anymore. She couldn't go back in time, all she could do was try and change the future.

Irrationally, she got angry. At Emmett, at Bella, at Edward, but mostly at herself. Never had she thought she'd go as far as begging someone to take her back. Sure, she loved Emmett and perhaps she always would, but this wasn't a reason good enough for her to keep humiliating herself. It's been too much already. She tried, but he didn't let her. She spoke, but he didn't hear her. She cried and he let her. This time she pushed back.

"Fuck you," she hissed. Emmett's eyes widened in surprise. "Fuck you, fuck you, and fuck you. Do you want to know why I kept coming back to him, Emmett? Want to know why I always sought him out? Because he never left me hanging, he always fucked me until I screamed."

Her words wounded him deeply and he felt himself getting angry. Emmett stepped impossibly closer to her and stared down at her beautiful face.

Rosalie kept her composure, although inside she was dying. "Edward is motherfucking fireball in bed, Emmett. Is that what you wanted to hear? That he fucked me read good; that he fucked me in ways you never have?"

Something inside of Emmett snapped. He grabbed Rosalie hips tightly and pushed her forcefully on the couch he was previously sitting on. A gasp in surprise left her body, but it was soon replaced with a moan once Emmett hovered over her and smashed his lips to hers.

His hands groped her roughly, both from anger and arousal. It had been too long for him.

Rosalie moaned loudly. She has always loved it when Emmett lost control with her life that. Her had always been a gentle lover and rarely let his animalistic side take over. This time, though, it was no time for love-making.

Their clothes were shred and soon enough Emmett was entering her, just like he did so many times before. This time, though it felt different for both of them.

They knew this would be the last time.

Emmett kept thrusting inside of Rosalie, his hands roaming over the curves of her body. He knew exactly where to touch her, where to kiss her. He knew how to move inside of her and how to make her purr in desire. He knew her body better than he knew his own, so it wasn't a surprise for him when she tightened around his cock as she came. Her orgasm triggered his own and he pulled out of her seconds before allowing his dick to erupt with spurts over her stomach.

Rosalie clutched him tightly and felt afraid to let go of him. She wasn't an idiot. She knew this wasn't a make-up sex, it was the break-up one. The final one. She couldn't let go of him yet, knowing this would be the last time she'd be so close to him. True, it was her own fault, but people made mistakes.

Now she had to live with hers.

**xxXxx**

The next morning was hard for Emmett. The emotional separation he had with Rosalie finalized last night. He knew they were broken up for months now, but something about the fact that yesterday they decided to let each other go, physically drained him.

De chose to walk to the office rather than take his car. The weather was terrible, a thick cover of snow was covering the pavement and a forceful wind was biting into his skin, bit it was exactly what he needed.

The streets of Boston were overcrowded and he tried to stay as far away from people as possibly, without slipping on the ice. The task was hard, but somehow he managed to do it. At least this way he had something to distract him from his problems.

"Ouch," a woman screeched. "Fucking jerk."

Emmett looked up to see where the voice came from, but he didn't see anything.

"Down here," the woman said again, this time gaining Emmett's attention. He immediately offered her his hand and helped her stand up. "Wow, thanks. That prick that pushed me really had little manners."

Emmett chuckled and supported her hand while she tried her best to clean herself up from the snow. "I should have taken my car today, but I wanted to walk to work. Remind me never to do that again."

"Give me your number and I'll make sure," Emmett said, smiling sweetly at her.

The woman's blue eyes sparkled. "Is this your best pick-up line?"

"Hey, I may not be a genie but I can make your dreams come true," he answered.

A sweet laugh escaped the woman's lips. "Okay. The number one was ten times better. I'm Charlotte, by the way."

"Emmett McCarty. So where were you headed to, Charlotte, before you were so rudely pushed aside?"

"Work. I'm a judge and the court can't start without me. Which also reminds me I should get going."

"What about that number?" Emmett asked.

Charlotte smiled and patted his cheek. "My business card is in your pocket since the moment you picked me up."

Just like that, Emmett thought that perhaps there was still a chance for him.

**xxXxx**

"Daddy," Danny asked from the backseat of Edward's Mercedes SUV. "I'm hungwy."

Edward's eye left the road only for a second meeting his son's gaze in the rear-view mirror. He was driving slowly, cautiously and under every single traffic law, scared for both his son's safety and his car's health. Danny had already vomited twice before they got into the car. After the first time his son's stomach felt ill, he had to physically push Bella out of the door.

"What do you want to eat, buddy?"

Danny shrugged his shoulders and Edward's eyebrows furrowed. If there was anything he knew with absolute certainty it was that his son was crazy about all kinds of sweets. Having him not wanting that in particular made him worry.

"Danny, how are you feeling? Is your tummy ill?" Edward asked, making a turn and easily sliding the car down to the underground garage of his building.

"I'm sleepy…and my head huwt."

Stopping the engine of the car, Edward unbuckled his seat beat and exited the car, surrounding it from the back and opening Danny's door. He opened his arms for his son after he unbuckled him from the car seat. Danny curled his arms around his neck and laid his cheek on his shoulder as Edward closed and locked the doors of the car.

Supporting Danny's weight, Edward walked him to the elevator. He groaned as he heard his cell phone ringing for what it felt like the tenth time since he left Bella's. He knew that the person calling was her without even having to check the caller ID.

With Danny sound asleep in his arms before he even reached his penthouse floor, Edward wondered what exactly to feed him with. His refrigerator was definitely lacking in the health food department, having only frozen pizza, beer and the regular cheese, ham, bread and some veggies his maid had bought.

As soon as he placed Danny's sleeping form in his bed, Edward lifted the covers to his neck and placed a kiss on his forehead. His lips immediately burned and Edward knew Danny had a fever. Having no one else to call, but his secretary, the father dialed the number of his personal assistant and quickly gave her orders to go by the pharmacy and also buy some chicken noodle soup and some crackers for Danny to eat when he woke up.

Not long later, Edward received a call from the doorman there was someone to speak with him. He had given Bella a key a long time ago, so he knew it must be Catalina.

Catalina Grey was both his Heaven and his Hell. Everything about her, beckoned Edward to fuck his work ethic and screw her on top of his desk. Apart from her being the best assistant he's had since he built Cullen Internationals, she was also dead gorgeous. Catalina was twenty-three and has been working for him for the past year. In his line of work travelling with his assistant wasn't unusual and Edward was a perfectionist. The envy in the eyes of people whenever he walked in a conference room would have been a reason good enough to keep her around. However, that wasn't it. Catalina was the best. Fierce and independent, she never took Edward's bullshit no matter how many insults and threats he send flying in her direction. She was used to his constant bullshit and rarely took that to heart.

Edward had previously left the door ajar, so he wasn't surprised when Catalina walked in. As per usual her attire was professional, yet extremely sexy. She was a petite woman, but the scary length of her heels made her look taller than her five foot four inched form.

As she walked toward Edward holding a shopping bag in her hand, her honey-colored hair cut into a stylishly voluminous bob bounced with each step.

"Edward," she said, jokingly. "This bag is heavy."

Without a word in greeting, Edward took the bag from her hands and walked into the kitchen, emptying the bag on the counter.

"How is he," Catalina asked, placing her ridiculously large purse on the bar stool next to the one she sat on.

Edward shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea. I guess it's some sort of a cold. At least that's what Bella told me."

Catalina took a grape from the fruit-bowl on the counter and popped it into her mouth. She watched as Edward struggled with the soup container and rolled her ocean-blue eyes at him. She jumped from the barstool and pushed him aside, opening the lid with a flick of her fingers. She looked around the kitchen and grabbed a bowl of soup. Slowly, trying to spill anything, she poured soup to the middle of the bowl.

"Where is he?"

Edward furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you know anything about children?"

Catalina laughed. "I sure hope so, otherwise what kind of mother would that make me?"

"You have a child?"

"Child_ren! _I started working for you right after my youngest became two."

"Youngest?" he questioned. He may not know a lot about her life apart from her being married to her high-school sweetheart, but he still knew she was I her early twenties.

"It's really a long story, but yes, I have three children. Six, three and two years old."

Catalina helped Edward feed Danny. Although they rarely spend some time together outside of the office and even more rarely spoke about something unrelated to work, he was very grateful for her help.

When Danny finally fell asleep with only a slight fever, Catalina was ready to go.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said. "Give me the documents about the Stewart and Brown case."

"What?" Edward asked. "I don't have any documents."

Catalina glared. "Edward, tell me you're kidding me with me! The meeting is tomorrow! I gave you the documents in your _hand_ two weeks ago. You should have looked them over and signed them by now!"

"Shit," Edward spat as soon as he remembered the meeting. His mind had been full of Bella back then and he completely forgot about the documents Catalina _ordered_ him to look over. "I haven't even started to read them."

"I'll kill you! I even typed you a text message every day to remind you about it. Edward, we need this account!"

Edward sighed deeply and sat down on the armrest of the couch. He buried his fingers in his hair and fell deep in thought. Before Bella his work was his entire life. There was a reason for him to be so successful at such young age. This has never happened before. His mind has been so consumed by the strange feeling he felt toward Bella and the indefinite love he felt for his son, he completely forgot all about his work.

"I'll do it all tonight. It'll be ready for tomorrow."

Catalina looked unsure. "I don't know, Edward. "Stewart and Brown have one hell of a history. Their file is big. I don't know if you can handle that in one night, especially with a sick child depending on you."

"I'll do it," he said with finality in his voice.

Later that night, Edward was seated on the large armchair in his office. The office lamp was leaving a soft glow of light over the scattered papers all over his desk. He kept reading and trying to get into the information written, but it was hard since his cell phone chipped every five minutes, indicating an upcoming call. Tired and angry at the constant ringing, he turned his phone off and threw it on the cushions of the white couch positioned near the door.

Two hours passed, but he still had a lot of work to do. With each passing minute he grew more and more angry. Danny has been fussing about not being well for the past hour and Edward was getting sick of the constant complaining. He tried to feed him, take his fever, give him a pill, lie down next to him, give him a shower, but all Danny wanted was his Mommy.

It wasn't long later, he started crying. This was the last straw and Edward jumped from his chair, absolutely pissed off at his son. He opened the door to his room with a bang and yelled, "What do you want?"

This made Danny cry harder. Never had someone raised their voice at him. Whenever he had been bad, Bella always used his full name with a stern in her voice, but she never yelled at him. This was new, and it scared the little boy.

"I-I…want…Mo-Momma…" he wailed.

"Fine," Edward spat and grabbed the kid in his arms. He took the blanket Danny was previously tucked in with and wrapped it around the toddler. With his car keys in hand, he was soon out of the door in this ungodly hour of the night.

Meanwhile, only a few blocks back, a young mother was pulling her hair of the roots. She had been trying to contact Edward for hours, but he didn't return her calls. She was fighting with herself to go there and see what was happening, but she wanted to give Edward the benefit of the doubt, especially since last night.

Jacob and Vanessa have decided to go to a hotel for the night and spend some time together, enjoying the nightlife of Seattle. Bella was angry at them for not sharing their plans earlier in the day. This way, Edward could have stayed with Danny in her apartment, rather than his.

A loud banging on the front door made her jump. She could hear Danny's cry on the other side of the door and she jumped immediately. She couldn't care less who was on the other side with her son. Her maternal instinct was overwhelming her.

Without looking through the peephole, she threw the door open. Edward was standing there with Danny in his arms. His look was terrifying her, but the crying child was more than a good reason for the anger to bubble up in her as well.

"What the hell is going on," she yelled.

Edward thrust Danny in her arms and almost knocked her down with the force he made the child go to her.

"Take your child. I can't fucking handle him anymore."

With those parting words, he left, leaving Bella with her mouth hanging open and a protective hug of her child.

**xxXxx**

Gentle tugs on Bella's fingers woke her up immediately. She all but jumped to a sitting position as her sleep-deprived eyes found her son's.

Last night had been a nightmare, and she didn't even go down to sleep. After Edward turned up at her door, angry and pushing Danny in her arms she went crazy. Surely, first she made sure to see whether or not Danny was okay, but after that she went ballistic. Her cell phone bill would perhaps be higher than her paycheck for the month. Edward's voice mail was filled with angry, sometimes insulting words and threads. Bella was unable to stop herself after just one call: no, she wanted to talk to him, to ask him what had happened, to yell at him for the condition he had left her son at.

What had happened?

From what she gathered from Danny, his tummy ached a lot. Was that a reason for all that happened?

Until the early hours of the night, Bella tended to her child, although Danny slept through most of it. Her arm was numb from where Danny had lied on, but she didn't care. The deep furrow of her eyebrows threatened to leave permanent freckles on her forehead.

A mother's worry was one no one could ever feel.

Last night she wondered whether or not to take Danny to the hospital, but he couldn't find a reason good enough. He didn't have a fever and no other pains besides the one in his stomach. She wondered briefly if he was hungry, but Danny fell asleep before she could give him something to eat.

Danny didn't consume all he thoughts last night, though. Edward also made her way though her worry-filled conscience, replacing the feeling with anger. She was definitely going to have a talk with him, but the end result of that talk was what scared her.

What if he didn't want to play daddy anymore?

This thought petrified her. She didn't care about financial stability, or the big penthouse she was living in. She didn't care about anything, not even the fact that the butterflies she had been feeling whenever Edward was around might disappear.

She worried about their son. How did one explain to a two-year-old his daddy didn't want him?

"Momma?" Danny asked, his voice soft and gentle.

"Yeah, baby?" she asked, bringing herself back to the present. "Does anything hurt?"

Danny shook his head, but his big green eyes were filled with sorrow. "Is daddy mad at me?"

Bella took a deep breath and hugged Danny closer to her body. She wanted to tell him, Edward wasn't, but at the same time, she didn't want to lie to him.

So she kept quiet, running her fingers through his soft bronze locks.

**xxXxx**

Lucy had been a lifesaver that day. Bella had called her as soon as it was morning-appropriate and Lucy immediately offered to help. It wasn't long after, Bella was taking a much needed shower and Lucy was taking care of Danny in the other room.

Bella wanted to enjoy her shower more than anything, but the need to be close to Danny, especially when he was sick, was making her hurry. That, plus the fact Danny needed a shower as well, however, much more different than hers.

As soon as she was done, she wrapped her wet hair in a towel and tied the robe belt around her waist. Visions of Edward looking hungrily at her filled her mind, but she shook it off. The only business she wanted with Edward Cullen right now involved explanations.

Bella dressed quickly, brow-drying her hair and letting it fall down her back. She didn't have the time, nor the nerves to tease her hair and add volume to the roots, so she just grabbed her mahogany locks and tied them in a high ponytail on the crown of her head.

"Did he eat something?" Bella asked, walking into the kitchen and kissing Danny's head, before pouring herself a glass of milk. Lucy shook her head.

Bella jumped on the counter and watched as Danny moved the cut-to-pieces toast around his plate. Her heart soared and she once again wondered if she should take him to the doctor, but the more rational part of her knew no one would really give them any attention. Danny had no symptoms, other than his stomach ache…and maybe heartache.

Bella was going to beat the shit out of Edward if he didn't come by today to apologize to Danny.

The long, man sweatpants she had on were way too baggy on her legs and waist, but she loved them nonetheless. She had always hated those tight Victoria's Secret "uniforms" most women preferred. So what if she had to roll the waistline three times to make them stay on her hips? At least she felt comfortable in them.

"Are you hungry, baby?"

Danny looked up at her and the same mask of sadness covered his face. "Is daddy coming?"

Bella sighed deeply. "I don't know. Let's take a shower and we'll try to reach him again, okay?"

Danny simply nodded and took Bella's offered hand, walking silently toward his bathroom.

Bella sneaked her arms under his armpits and lifted him on the bed. She kneeled down in front of him and looked deeply into his eyes. "You know I love you, right?" Danny nodded. "I'll never let you go, I'll never let you fall. You're always safe in mommy's arms, Danny. You'll have me forever, no matter what!"

"Lof you, Momma," Danny said.

A smile bright enough to lit Seattle spread across Bella's face. "I love you, too. Now, let's get you clean."

Bella gently pushed Danny on his back and started tickling his sides. His sweet shrieks and laughs warmed her heart. She took his left in her hand and quickly removed the sock covering it. Playfully, she started biting each of his toes, which made Danny laugh harder. He twisted to his side, trying to escape from Bella, when her attack on his foot immediately seized. Her eyes were trained on the exposed flesh on Danny's back and she definitely didn't like what she was seeing.

With furrowed eyebrows, she asked, "Danny what's that bruise on your back?"

Danny stared at Bella with innocent, big jade eyes. His expression was one of confusion. Bella's body had started to tremble with fury and her teeth were gritting together. She couldn't separate her eyes from the awful purplish bruise that was placed on his hip.

"Baby, did daddy smack you?" she asked. Never in her life had she felt such anger before. All her instincts were screaming at her to defend her child no matter what the cost. Any thoughts of Edward harming Danny, especially since last night's fiasco, were making her blood boil.

"Daniel, answer me!" She raised her voice, scaring him. "Did your father do that to you?"

Danny once again started crying uncontrollably like last night. Indescribable anger overtook Bella's body. Images of Edward hitting her child were unstoppable in her mind. Immediately, she swept Danny in her arms and hugged him close to her. Lucy, hearing the yelling rushed into the bedroom to see what had happened.

"Stay with him," Bella ordered, grabbing her coat from the hanger next to the door.

"Dear, what's happened? Where are you going?" Lucy asked, concern laced with panic, as she saw the menacing look on Bella's face.

"I'm going to kill his fucking father!"

* * *

**I decided to cut the chapter and not make you wait any longer. The next chapter is almost entirely written and it would be published by the end of next week.**

**PS: Wow. You're really divided, aren't you? Here, we have the group of girls ready for child abuse case and manslaughter. Then, we have the Edward-lovers who desperately try to get into his shoes. We have the realists, who look for other causes of the bruise and finally we have people who think Catalina did it.**

******I'll only say Catalina doesn't have anything to do with it.**


	23. And Then They Fell Apart

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated M (NC-17), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human, Very OOC, AU;

* * *

**Paradise Lost**

_And Then They Fell Apart_

Bella closed the door to her car so forcefully, the windows vibrated when the door collided with the coupe. She was unbothered by the fact she didn't lock it, or even that she had parked it directly at the entrance of Cullen Internationals. Somewhere in the background, she heard the security yelling after her, but she didn't stop. She wasn't going to be stopped, either. She had been a visitor in Edward's empire so many times they knew never to mess with her.

Bella was Edward's girl in their eyes.

The thin, baggy, boat-neck blouse she had tossed over her black wife-beater did nothing to keep the cold out, but that didn't matter. Bella was so enraged, her blood was boiling and she wondered if she could even go up to Edward's office, before she burst from her own fury.

Dismissing the elevator, she strode through the mechanical glass doors of the stairs, cursing them for opening for her. Bella desperately wanted to slam something down before she reached the point of no return and killed Edward in the place.

Every thought she had about letting him explain last night's fiasco was forgotten. She wanted blood, she wanted pain, but most of all she wanted to see Edward's face as she slammed her fists to his body anywhere she could reach.

Rationality wasn't on her mind. Something animalistic was awoken in her and she couldn't care about a damn in the world. Her instincts were drawn to the basics — protect her young one. A fury of a woman was not something to be played with, but fury of an angry mother was ten times worse.

Bella reached the floor Edward's office was situated. Her periphery barely acknowledged the way Catalina jumped from her chair when she saw her all-but-running toward Edward's office. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Bella hoped Catalina wouldn't step in front of her at that moment. She had met and actually befriended Edward's assistant, but messing with her right now would be deadly from her side.

Bella reached her destination unbothered and burst through the door of Edward's office. Startled, he raised his tired eyes from the picture of Danny he was holding in his hands. Seeing Bella was like a sunray coming from the thickness of the clouds in the coldest winter day. He had so much to tell her, so much to apologize for, so many promises were yet to be made, but he had no choice to do that.

"I'll kill you," Bella spat. She couldn't even recognize her own voice as she strode toward Edward.

He jumped from his chair and successfully grabbed her withdrawn arm before she could struck him. Bella struggled to free herself, but she was yet again met with disappointment, when Edward circled his arms around her, effectively caging her in his embrace.

"Fucking let go of me, I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" The angry roar of her voice made her throat hurt, but that didn't cease her screams. "How could you?"

"Bella…I…I was angry and…"

Using her elbow, Bella caught him off-guard and easily slipped from his grip as she hit him below the ribs. "I don't fucking care how angry you were," this time, she did connect her fist with his biceps. "How dare you lay a hand on him?"

As if a curtain was open, Edward's surprised eyes darkened. The bluish circles under his eyes — which looked more prominent before — seemed to lose themselves as his face grew red with anger. If one was to take a dictionary and choose a disgracing adjective about a person, Edward would probably fit perfectly with them all. However, one thing he was not.

A child abuser.

Not to any child, let alone his own flesh and blood.

"What did you say?" The hiss of his voice was similar to the one of a snake.

All night Edward was debating with himself. On one side, he wanted to go to Bella's house and beg her to understand, but the other, saner part of him knew that the morning was wiser than the evening. Edward knew what he had done — he had overreacted and with his actions, hurt his son's feelings. He chastised him when he did nothing wrong and that was inexcusable. Edward had no intention to apologize, because he knew it wouldn't be enough. His usual messes were nothing compared to the cluster-fuck he had created last night. Words meant nothing.

Although he was supposed to be in a meeting with Stewart & Brown company, he had cancelled. There was no way he was going to look at those papers and not see the way Danny's tears spilled from his eyes. During the early hours of the morning when he walked in through the still barely-lit office building, he still wondered what to do to make Bella believe he was wrong. He knew people made mistakes, but his list was endless.

Edward knew he was losing her and Danny. He only hoped he hadn't lost them entirely.

"What's that bruise on his back?" Bella growled, her stomach clenching. Her chest rose with each breath she took and the thin material of her shirts did nothing to cover her hardened from the cold nipples. Surprisingly, though, Edward's eyes were trained on her face, and not her breasts.

"What bruise? I never laid a hand on him! Are you kidding with me?"

"You son—"

Bella's insult was cut-off mid-sentence when her cell phone started ringing. She debated on whether or not to pick up, but in the end decided to do it, having in mind _her_ son was sick.

Seemed like, they were going to go through this custody trial after all.

"Hello," she answered, trying to keep her composure.

"Be..Bell…coll…hosp…" Bella furrowed her eyebrows as she couldn't understand anything from Lucy's frantic voice. She could, however, hear the sirens of an ambulance in the background and this petrified her.

"Lucy!" she said, raising her voice. Her heart was pounding harder than ever. "Lucy, what's going on?"

Edward's head snapped toward Bella. He was perfectly aware who Lucy was and the distress on Bella's face meant only one thing — Danny.

"Danny collapsed, Bella. He can't breathe. We're taking him to Seattle Memorial—"

A sharp cry escaped Bella. Her legs trembled and she supported her weight with her hand firmly placed on Edward's desk. Her mind was running wild and her limbs seemed to give up on her. She briefly wondered if she was about to faint.

Edward was next to her in a second. He grabbed the phone from her hand and asked Lucy to repeat what she had said. His reaction was nothing different than Bella's, however, his was entangled with fury. Something told him Dr. Rodriguez's test results might have something to do with this and this angered him beyond belief. Especially since aforementioned doctor wasn't "comfortable" with revealing the results and Edward had to hire James Jenks to find out what was happening. He didn't have an answer, yet, though.

"We're on our way," Edward said, placing the phone on his desk, before grabbing Bella's hand and all but dragging her out of his office.

Before they reached the parking lot, Bella was a mess. The initial shock had worn off, leaving her a bare shell of sobs, cries and uncontrollable shaking. Her legs gave out before she and Edward reached the underground parking lot and he had no other choice, but to pick her up in his arms and carry her to the car. The extra weight did nothing to slow him down. The worry and the adrenaline pumping through his blood were a fuel enough to keep him going. He tried to suppress the feeling of despair, but he was losing it. Unwanted, his eyes were starting to sting with unshed tears and before he placed Bella on the passenger's seat of his Aston Martin, he wiped the delicate skin below his eyes.

He wasn't going to lose it now; not when his son and his…Bella needed him.

The car left tire treads and a cloud of dust as it departed from the garage with sixty miles per hour. Unbothered with red lights and passing passengers, Edward drove furiously toward the hospital. Nothing could have stopped him at this moment, not a police car, not a red light, not even a fucking passing homeless person. His son was sick, his son needed him and hell would open loose before he let anything get into his way.

Bella was untamable. Her fingers were pulling her hair and the tears were spilling from her eyes, pooling around her narrow jaw. Edward hand grabbed hers, his eyes never leaving the road. Bella took the silent strength he was giving her and held onto it for dear life. She placed both her hands over his and squeezed it to a point where it was painful, but it didn't matter for either of them. They needed each other now.

Whatever it was wrong with Danny, it most likely wasn't a common cold. It was something more. Something what would break them apart. Something, that would end them.

Two broken hearts were beating as one in the small coupe of the sports car, parking at the entrance of Seattle Memorial. One could only hope they were enough to keep Bella and Edward alive.

Edward perked the car diagonally, taking two park-spaces instead of one. He was out of the door as soon as he had pulled the key from the ignition and Bella was following his close behind.

Bella wasn't sure what that thumping sound in her ears was. She barely wondered if it was the heavy steps of her feet meeting the asphalt in the fastest sprint she ever ran, or it was simply her broken heart beating its last beats. If Danny wasn't all right, then she wasn't going to be all right. It was simply as that.

The automatic doors opened just as Edward neared the door. He stepped in, slowing his steps only until the gap through the glass doors was wide enough for him to pass through it, and then took off sprinting yet again.

He was the first one to reach the help desk, pushing an elderly man aside. He could hear people protesting behind him about waiting in line, but he couldn't care less.

Bella's warm body touched his only seconds later when she finally caught up with him. Their hands were once again touching, their fingers fitting perfectly in the spaces between the other one. A gesture so simple held so much reassurance, so much strength. Perhaps, if Bella's mind wasn't so filled with worry, she'd dwell on it. The fact that the exact same hand Edward was holding was previously the one hitting him.

"Daniel Cullen!" he roared. "He was brought in with seizures. Where is he?"

The girl behind the desk, probably not much older than Bella, looked up at him, fear changing her child-like face. Her long lashes touched her high cheekbones as they blinked repeatedly.

"Are you deaf, or fucking stupid," Edward yelled out. "Where is my son?"

"S-sir," the girl, Stella, according to her nametag, said, "We don't have anyone with the name Cullen admitted."

"How do you know when you didn't even check with the register? He has to be here!"

"Swan," Bella whispered, her tears chocked her up once again. "Daniel Jacob Swan."

Stella looked between the pair and it didn't went unnoticed that the rude gentlemen dropped his hand from the shaking woman's one. Bella looked up to him, begging him silently not to let her go, not at this point, not over such thing as Daniel's last name.

"Room 2558, he was admitted ten minutes ago, but there was no emergency, so he's in pediatrics."

"You better find him a single room available and every fucking doctor better be with him, or I'm not responsible for consequences."

He strode away from Bella and toward the assigned room. Bella once again followed behind him, but her troubles were once again filled with Danny's well being. She had done everything alone for so long, Edward wasn't going to diminish her strength, not when her son needed her the most.

Both parents reached the door almost at the same time. Bella slipped through the slightly ajar opening, but Edward couldn't. He stayed frozen for a while, simply looking through the window. He couldn't believe that the pale-looking boy in front of him was his son. An IV needle was pierced through the skin on his arm, the liquid dripping down the tube slowly, excruciatingly slow.

He watched as Bella fell on her knees next to the bed, he saw her break down yet again, looking at the sleeping form of her son. Her hands tried to touch him everywhere at once, tried to hold him, feel him. It didn't escape his attention that her small palm stopped over his chest, feeling the way his heart was beating.

Her eyes frantically looked for anything physically wrong. She pushed the strands of hair that had fallen on his forehead aside and slowly traced her fingers all over his face, before bending down and prepping it with kisses everywhere.

Her tears fell on his face and slid down as if they were his own.

Edward couldn't watch any longer, so her adverted his eyes. In his sight was immediately a doctor, or at least that's what Edward assumed by looking at the lab coat, covering a pale blue hospital outfit.

"You must be Daniel's father. My name is Doctor Adkins."

"What's wrong with my son?" Edward asked immediately. His peripheral vision caught Bella's worried expression as she followed their conversation, but she made no move to leave Danny.

"Mr. Cullen, your son was admitted with severe breathing difficulties. When he first arrived at the hospital, we had to give him oxygen though mask, luckily it didn't come as far as having to intubate him. We did the standard exam and discovered Daniel has enlarged lymph nodes, something that's not abnormal, but along with the breathlessness, we decided to do blood work."

Edward was grateful that the doctor wasn't using medical terms when he was explaining Danny's condition. The last thing he wanted was to punch some cocky doctor in the face.

"Of course it's going to take more than half an hour for the tests we ran, but we did find out Danny was anemic, which could also explain the bruises covering his back."

"What exactly are you trying to tell me?" Edward asked, unable to keep the venom from his voice.

The doctor ignored the threatening tone in which Edward spoke. "Sir, when was the last time Daniel had any medical exams made? I'm talking blood work, urine and CT scans, not the regular ones he has with his pediatric."

Edward's brows furrowed. Surely, he must know this, however, he couldn't remember if Bella had told him something like that. He had listened to everything concerning Danny, but he couldn't remember if Bella ever told him something like that. He was just about to say this, when the phone call he had with Doctor Rodriguez on Christmas Eve replayed in his head.

"Two months ago," he said. "He had blood taken two months ago."

Doctor Adkins raised an eyebrow. If the child had tests done two months ago, then surely someone must have caught the symptoms he was having.

"What are you thinking? What's wrong with him?" Edward's voice held the hardness and authority in it yet again. The intimidating stand he had over the pediatric was frightful, but Doctor Adkins stood his position.

"I'm not really comfortable with speaking without having final results—"

Edward took him by the collar of his lab coat, tired of listening to those words coming from the mouth of every doctor that might know what was going on with his son's health.

"Talk to me with guesses," Edward hissed, clenching the coat tighter. He could hear Bella yelling at him to stop, but he knew she wasn't going to leave Danny's side. "I don't like surprises. What's wrong with Danny?"

Doctor Adkins swallowed and looked up at Edward. Bella, who had left Danny's side for a second, was trying to uncurl his fingers from the doctor's coat.

"Acute lymphoblastic leukemia," Doctor Adkins said. "It's a cancer of the white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts."

Everything around Bella and Edward stopped moving. A sharp cry erupted from Bella's chest as Edward slowly dropped his hands from the doctor's coat. His mind was in haze, his ears were refusing to acknowledge the heard as true. There's got to be some mistake. Danny couldn't have cancer. He just couldn't die.

"Sir, I know this is a lot to take in, and we don't even have one hundred percent positivity on the question. It's just an educated guess, that's why I didn't want to trouble you without holding the results in my hands."

Silent tears were streaming down Edward's face. In his shock he had forgotten to blink, or so he thought.

"Wh…I…" he stuttered. "How?"

Doctor Adkins shook his head. "I can't tell you how, when or how long. A lot of tests need to be done before I can prescribe a treatment. I do, however, want to ask you, does Daniel have any siblings?"

Both parents shook their heads. "If it comes to the worst," he said, but continued after a while. "A sibling is the best match for a donor. We will take blood from both of you to see whether or not you're consistent with Danny, but…"

Unable to hear more, Edward walked away, leaving Bella standing there, calling after him.

In a haze, Edward left the hospital. He didn't know where he was headed at first, but as soon as he saw the approaching cab from down the streets, he knew his destination. He told the address of the clinic and leaned back on the backseat, wondering when exactly have everything gone down the drain.

The perfectly sculptured world he has been living in for the past months went crumbling down under the force of the hurricane currently destroying his heart. Edward was strong; nothing could possibly argue with this statement. However, at that very moment he felt like a little boy. He wondered what decision could possibly be the right one. He needed someone to make every call from now on from his behalf.

His son. The reason for every smile that has been plastered on his face, every flutter of his heart, every sleepless night, was ill, probably terminally. Every thought consumed him and made him drown slowly in the ocean of grief he had fallen into from the moment the doctor told him the presumable illness of his son. Something ugly, strong and unforgiving was trying to make him sink, to drown, to die. He didn't know how much longer he could fight with the beast trying to destroy him.

This thoughts filled his time until the cabbie announced they have reached the clinic. Edward tossed some bills on the front seat and walked out of the cab. The four thousand dollar suit jacket he was holding got tossed in the first dumpster. His silk tie followed. Suffocating in the designer button-down shirt he unbuttoned the first three buttons and stalked inside the clinic.

Dismissing the angry voices of the people in the waiting room, he barged in the cabinet Doctor Rodriguez's name was written on the door.

The doctor, previously preparing himself for an exam, was pinned down to the table next to the examination chair, his blood was drawn during the paternity test.

"Mr. Cull—"

"I don't have time for pleasantries. Obviously you know who I am. I couldn't care less who you are. However, let me tell you this. One wrong word, one excuse and I'll snap your neck in half." The spat all this out without taking a breath. The doctor's eyes were as big as saucers. The woman at the examination table was trying to calm Edward down, without any luck.

"What's wrong with my son?"

The silence in the room was broken only by the occasional word said by the woman. Tears spilled down the doctor's temples, without a doubt from the fright he felt for his well-being. Edward's eyes were menacing; the fury within them, the pain, made him look more like a monster, than a human being.

Edward put more pressure on Doctor Rodriguez's neck, before repeating the same question.

"Ca-cancer cells. His lymphocytes were off the charts. We wanted to make sure…"

Edward removed his arm from around the doctor's neck and stepped back. The stunned expression on his face might have misled a stranger that this was the first time the hurt father heard his son's diagnose. It wasn't. The confirmation was even more gut-wrenching than hearing it the first time. Every single hope Edward had put in Doctor Rodriguez's findings was gone.

Edward couldn't fight any longer, so he let the monster sink his head under.

**xxXxx**

The return to the hospital was the hardest thing Edward had to do up to date. Each step he took was tired. His body was feeling the coldness from the January darkness, but he couldn't let even the shivers running down his spine fasten his steps. We welcomed the cold, he welcomed the feeling different from agony. Any feeling was good, any other feeling.

The automatic doors to the hospital opened and he stepped inside. The warmth attacked him immediately and his muscles started aching from the sudden change of temperature. His eyes were downcast as he made his way down the narrow halls to the pediatric wing where his son was lying. He briefly registered the fact that Jacob was now there, hugging Bella close to his body and consoling her like a child. Vanessa was also there, rubbing soothing circles in between Bella's shoulder blades. Bella's eyes met his for a moment, but he adverted his gaze, unbothered by everything. Eight hours ago, he might have thrown a fit, acted jealously, confronting Jacob, but not now.

He stepped through the dim lighted room of his son and walked to his bed. They have out an oxygen mask on his face since the last time he laid his eyes on him. A grimace changed his expression and the tears spilled easily from his eyes. Edward pushed the visitor's chair aside and fell down to his knees, for the first time in his life, next to his son.

He took Danny's small hand in his and clenched it, letting his sobs break through the stillness of the room.

"Danny, oh… God. Danny," he cried. His pain was uncontrollable. He felt as if someone was ripping his chest open and piercing his heart with their nails; scratches, cuts and tears. His heart was pumping, his blood flowing, but uselessly. He was no longer living. His existence was even compromised, as every breath he took was hard, the huge bile in his throat was too big to swallow down.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder. He didn't need to look up to know who it was. Bella had walked into the room briefly after he did. Edward could sense her, even if he couldn't see her.

"Edward," she whispered. "Please."

He shrugged away from her. Touches and support weren't going to make his son feel better. How could he possibly help him when he couldn't even help himself breathe? How could he hold Bella, how could he show strength, support and…love when he couldn't even find it in him to raise back to his height?

"I'm in no use for you," he whispered, brushing his tears away with his sleeve.

"Don't do this," Bella begged, falling on her knees next to him. Her hand covered his, the same hand that was holding their son's. "I need you. Danny needs you. I can't do this alone."

Edward looked at her then, the torture written all over her face made his breath hitch. Never before have he seen someone so anguished. He cried out and wrapped his other arm tightly around her shoulders. He kissed her full lips once, but all too soon, pulled away.

"I'm in no use for you," he repeated again.

He rose to his knees and left the hospital room, hearing Bella's heartbreaking sobs from behind him.

**xxXxx**

The quiet sounds of a knock on the door made him close his eyes. The tears spilled from them despite the force he held them back with. His head hit the wall behind him and his fingers found purchase in his own hair, pulling it from the roots. His knees were drawn to his chest, but he still felt sick in his stomach. His throat was closing and he wondered if he was getting enough air to survive. Not that he cared: air or not he was sure he wouldn't survive without his son.

The knocks on the door continued…just like they did for the past minutes or so. Edward exhaled loudly. He knew Bella was on the other side of the door. He didn't need a phone call in warning, or a glance through the peephole to know who it was.

Standing up from the ground felt physically painful. His muscles were sore from standing in the same position for hours. His head hurt from all the tears he cried out, some silently, some heartbreakingly sobbing.

He supported his body with his left hand and stood up straight. The walk to the door only took two steps; he had broken down on the floor as soon as he walked through the door. Sighing, he pressed the door handle down and barely peeked through the opening. In the barely lit hallway stood Bella, but not the Bella he knew. Never before had he seen her so damaged, so broken. Her skin shined with sweat and her hair looked like a haystack framing her face. Her irises were bloodshot and the dark circles under her eyes were making her eyes look smaller, somehow less fitting for her face.

Edward opened the door wider and silently invited her in. She avoided eye-contact as her feet stepped on the soft Persian carpet covering the wooden floor.

Silently, Edward closed the door and remained with his eyes trained on the handle. He heard Bella's soft steps as she departed herself from the room. Edward turned his body around once he could no longer hear her, only to see her silhouette light by the moonlight shining through the floor to ceiling windows.

With her arms crossed over her chest, Bella turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder. They eyes briefly met before he finally found the strength to move closer to her. Hurriedly, she held her hand in the air, telling him to stop. With only mere feet between them, she could see him more clearly under the light of the midnight. The darkness in the penthouse was no longer as scary as before.

Her fingers slid down to the hem of her ratty shirt. Hesitation make her fingers tremble, but her fear was soon replaced with determination. She pulled her shirt over her head and clenched the material in her fists. Her naked torso, although appealing, didn't held Edward's gaze. Bella moved closer to him and tossed her shirt somewhere behind her. Her naked breasts touched the material of his expensive dress shirt.

There was no more questions and no more hesitation. Her body was lifted slightly when she stood up on her toes and curled her hands around his neck.

Edward closed his eyes and bended slightly, sneaking one hand under her knees and one supporting her back. He lifted her up from the ground as if she weighted nothing and looked deeply into her eyes.

Without a word he touched his lips to hers briefly, before walking with her toward his bedroom.

He kicked the door open, tightening his arms around Bella. His lips found hers again and he slowly placed her in the middle of his bed. She looked up at him, her eyes swollen from tears and watched him as he unbuttoned the rest of his button down. Bella rose up to her elbows and grabbed a handful of the soft material of his shirt and pulled him down on top of her. They kissed again, his tongue slipping past her lips and finding hers in a fierce dance. His touches were delicate, uncertain, but their kisses were full of fire, desire and need.

Bella pushed away the material of his shirt until it slipped from his arms, leaving him naked from the waist up. Edward kissed Bella's cheek, then her jaw until he reached the side of her neck and ran his tongue slowly down until he found the juncture where her neck met her shoulder and gently nipped on it. A quiet moan filled the room as Bella closed her eyes and sneaked her arms under the hems of her sweatpants and her panties. She tried to pull them down as far as she could, but when she couldn't reach further, she felt Edward's hands help her. His kisses never stopped, even though his hand was caressing the soft skin of her naked thigh as he pushed her clothes down her legs leaving her naked.

With a snap of her fingers, Bella opened the fly of his pants. Edward balanced his body on his elbows as he hovered over her, a million questions passing through his head. Most of them were on the tip of his tongue, but he had no time to spill them out, before Bella's hands sneaked around his neck and pulled his lips back on hers.

His pants and boxer-briefs joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor. Bella's hands weren't shy. A person would think she had more experience than the one-night stand her son was conceived. Her hands were firmly placed on Edward's butt-cheeks as he rubbed his hardening erection on her thigh.

He sneaked his hands around her waist and pulled her upper body up, making her back lean on the head rest of his California King. He fisted as much material of her shirt as he could before he tossed it over his head and on the floor.

Edward's lips found her nipple and Bella arched her back. She caressed him, touched him and felt the pleasure he was giving her, but her mind was somewhere else. Her mind was with her son, in that hospital room, fighting for every passing hour of his life.

Her eyes were filled with tears, but she fought against letting them fall. She knew Danny's only chance was getting transplant from the cord of a sibling. That's exactly what she was going to give him, no matter what.

Edward ran his palm up the inside of her thigh until he reached her center. Her legs immediately opened and he ran his middle finger up and down her slit, collecting the moisture there before going slightly up and rubbing her swollen clit with his wet fingertips.

Bella moaned loudly, but the sound made her sobs sound louder. Edward's eyes immediately snapped to her, seeing her tear-stained cheeks. Immediately, his hands left her pussy.

"Edward," she said, her voice holding a threat.

He shook his head and slid out of the bed, "No."

"EDWARD!" Bella yelled, her voice breaking, as she watched him grab his boxers and put them back on. "He needs us."

"Not like this. Not now. I'm not going to have you again like this. I'll never have sex with you again when you're a wreck, Bella. I'm not doing it."

"He needs this!"

He looked up and her and said, "You don't deserve this. Not like this, not again. You have me, Bella. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you. I swear to you."

He walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows and opened the balcony door stepping outside. The pack of smokes he had there was the only consolation he could find at the moment. He pulled a cig out of his Marlboro box and grabbed the match sitting next it. He took a deep breath as he lit the cigarette and tossed the match outside.

Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. Hours felt like years. Neither of them could pinpoint how much time had passed. Neither of them cared.

Bella didn't have the strength to cry out anymore. Sometimes even her tears seized to fall from her eyes. The numbness she felt in her body was welcoming; she waited for it with open arms. Numbness felt better than pain; suffocating, bleeding, excruciating suffering.

The soft material of the satin sheets covering her naked body did nothing to stop the cold, coming through the open balcony door of Edward's bedroom. Her legs were raised to her chest and her head was resting on her bended knees. Her eyes — who have long lost the spark they once had — were glossy, but not from happiness. More tears prickled around her tear docks as her gaze fell upon Edward's.

The grey smoke coming from the lit cigarette in between his fingers danced as the wind swirled around it. Different patterns were drawn and each time the wind made its way through the trees outside, the orange glow started to shine more than before.

Although her eyes were simply staring into space she caught every detail. The way Edward's bare back send shudders down his spine, rocking his shoulders. She saw his arm, as he curled his fingers in a fist and angrily threw the bum out on the streets. She heard the angry roar erupting from his chest as he continuously punched the balcony wall until heavy sobs once again made him fall to his knees.

Bella didn't go to him and he stayed away from her. They were all alone in their pain, although they shared the same.

* * *

**I…um…need a hug. :(**

**The story is still on hiatus. I have a lot to study for, but I just needed to finish this chapter and go back to World War I, because Danny was filling my mind.**

**Thanks again for the support you guys give me. I love you :)**


	24. And Then They Grew Stronger

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated M (NC-17), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human, Very OOC, AU;

**PS: I uploaded the beta'd chapter. **

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**Paradise Lost**

_And Then They __Grew Stronger_

In the darkest hours before dawn, Edward returned to his bed. He walked into his bedroom slowly, trying not to make any unnecessary noise. He gently closed the window, trying to stop the cold, but uselessly the icy winter weather have already made itself known in the room, capturing it within its freezing grip.

He looked over his shoulder to the bed. His eyes fell on the feminine form of Bella's naked body. The thin, black, satin sheet did nothing to camouflage the curves of her slim figure. Bella was lying on her side, facing away from him, so Edward had a fantastic view of her barely covered back. Her peachy skin looked so good covered with the dark color of the sheets.

She was so breathtakingly beautiful. Edward had no idea how he had called her average before. He must have been blind, or better yet, blinded by fake smiles, fake tan and fake people surrounding him to see the true beauty.

"Are you awake?" he asked gently. Those were the first words he uttered since he promised her support, since he promised her strength, and since he promised her love, or at least the kind of love he was capable of giving.

Without turning to look at him, she answered, "Of course. Do you think you could possibly fall asleep when you don't know if your son will live to see his third birthday?"

Ever since she and Edward broke down, a thousand scenarios passed through her mind. The scripts were dark, filled with sorrow, grief and anguish, but never did they have a happy outcome.

The scariest part was that she played the leading role and she didn't know how to escape it.

Edward sat on the bed, before sliding in behind her. His arms circled around her waist and pulled her body flush to his. He snuck one of his hands underneath her neck, making her head rest on it as if it were a pillow and gently wiped the fallen tears from her eyes.

"Why aren't you with Danny?" Edward asked. He knew how hypocritical his question was. He had left her alone, sure, but he needed time to compose himself. There was no way he could have helped her when he was such a wreck. He needed time to think, to let the information given to him by the doctors settle in his mind, and then make decisions.

Bella finally turned her body slightly, her cheek now resting on Edward's shoulder. "Visiting hours were over. Something about high-end security and making no exceptions. I tried to make them understand, but they said there was no breaking the rules."

Edward clenched his jaw. "I'll buy the goddamned hospital. There is no way you or me are going to get thrown out of there when Danny…with Danny inside."

Silence surrounded them again. Edward's hands roamed over her exposed skin, touching her softly, delicately as if she was an expensive piece of art. Her manicured nails were tapping over his chest along with every beat of his heart.

It didn't escape her notice that their hearts were beating with the same rhythm.

Bella lifted her tired eyes and met his gaze. No questions were asked as she lifted herself slightly on her elbow and brushed her lips over his. Edward used the time to caress the soft skin on her back, but didn't let his hands go further down than her waist.

Bella threw one of her legs over his and slowly rose from the bed until she was sitting astride him. The sheet covering her torso fell, pooling around her slim figure. Edward's eyes glanced at her naked breasts for a second, before they met her eyes again. Her hands were placed on his chest, palms down, fingers spread open. As she fisted her hands, she left pink scratches over the skin of his chest. He tapped his heart with the pads of his fingers, a slow, uneasy smile forming on his lips. Her eyes sparkled slightly, although she couldn't return his smile.

Slowly, she bended down and rest her head over his heart. His arms surrounded her, cocooning her in his embrace.

"What's going to happen now, Edward?" she whispered. Her voice was so quiet, he barely heard her.

The grip he had on her tightened. "The doctors will run all the tests they need until they can confirm Danny has…cancer."

A pained sound escaped Bella's lips, but Edward continued. "They will test us both. If stars are aligned and everything is perfect, one of us would be a match. They will make the transplant, Danny will get the necessary treatment and he'll get better."

"What if we aren't a match?" Bella asked. Her reasoning to be here in the first place surfaced.

Edward pursed his lips. He knew Bella's question was rhetorical. If they weren't a match, their other option would be having another child. However, he didn't want that. He was going to do whatever it took to make sure they didn't have another kid.

"They will run Danny's blood through the system and look for a possible match."

Bella sighed, defeated. She knew Edward was avoiding the question. The thing that worried her, though was the fact she knew his answer. He wasn't answering, because he was going to refuse. She couldn't let him refuse, though.

They laid like that until the rays of the rare January sun kissed their skin through the windows. Had they not had a need to go see their son, perhaps they would have stayed the way they were. Danny, though, was their top priority, so Bella untangled herself from Edward and grabbed the edge of the sheet, covering her.

"I need to use the bathroom," she said. "I won't be long."

"Take a shower if you want," Edward suggested. "It might make you feel a little better. I'll use the other bathroom, so we can cut the time."

Bella nodded, and rolled herself over to the end of the bed, before letting her toes step on the surface of the ground. She stood up and the sheet she was holding fell onto the floor, creating the illusion of a trail. With a glance back, she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

True to his word, Edward used the shower in Danny's room. He was supporting his elbows on the shower glass door and let the hot water fall down his back. He ran his fingers through his hair, but kept his eyes tightly closed, trying not to open them and get reminded that Danny wasn't there.

Bella was also quick with her shower, but when she was finished, she had a dilemma. The clothes she wore last night were way too thin and would do nothing to keep her from the cold. She knew she had to go to her place and get dressed, but she didn't want to spend any more time away from her son. She opened the bathroom door at the exact same moment Edward opened the bedroom one. They looked at each other wrapped in towels, but didn't say anything. They had been way too intimate already; a towel didn't really bring that much excitement anymore.

"I can let you borrow a sweater. Your sweats look like they could keep you warm enough for now. I'll go to your place later and get you more clothes and stuff."

They didn't speak about it, but it seemed like Bella would spend another night in Edward's bed. The scary part was that _that_ fact didn't bother her at all.

**xxXxx**

Just like they did last night, Bella and Edward held hands while Edward drove toward the hospital. He did speed the car over the limit, but his driving wasn't as reckless as it was yesterday. During the drive, he stole glances at Bella's direction. Her elbow was propped over the handle, her little first supporting under her jaw as she looked sideways to the passing buildings and cars.

"We're almost there," Edward said, bringing her out of her trance. She smiled shyly at him and straightened her posture, leaning her head on the head-rest.

"Do you think he'll have his mask off?" Bella asked. "I really want to talk to him. It feels like it's been ages since the last time I heard his voice."

Edward remained silent, not knowing what to tell her. He didn't want to bring her hopes up, but he also didn't want to destroy the only thing that kept her going.

As soon as he parked, they were out of the car. Edward hand held Bella's once again, a gesture that became so familiar to both of them, it didn't even make an impression on them. The automatic doors opened as they approached, but instead of going in, Edward stopped.

Bella turned her body toward his, her fingers slipping from between Edward's. The wind swirled around them, making her hair fly backwards. Her cheeks were stained red from the cold, but her hands were warm from where Edward held them. The oversized sweater she had on was too big around her, so she had it tied in a small knot on the small of her back.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Edward's hands filled his pockets as he awkwardly stood before Bella. His messy hair was getting into complete disarray from the wind.

"I want to talk to the manager of the hospital about the visits."

Bella lifted her eyebrows. "Do you want me to come with you?"

He shook his head and breathed in deep. "The reason I stopped was because I _didn't_ want you to come with me. That conversation could get messy, money will be thrown on the table, threats are going to be made and … I know you hate the way I operate. I know you hate the way I make business, but that's just who I am and that's what I know to do."

Bella was in awe of his honesty. She had never really given much thought on how Edward could possibly arrange the special visits. His less than honorable way of getting what he wanted would have made her angry any other time, but now, now, she couldn't possible care less if Edward used every single unrespectable way in the book to give them what they _needed_.

"I'll be with Danny. I want to talk to the doctor about the tests that are going to be done to him today."

Edward lifted his hand and placed it on her cheek. "I'll be in and out in less than ten minutes. If the Chief is a dick, I'll just buy the fucking hospital."

He grabbed her hand again and they walked inside, parting ways once they reached the elevator. Bella continued walking down the hall, turning every now and then until Edward finally walked into the elevator and went out of her sight. She reached the pediatrics wing and hurried to the room Danny was sleeping in.

She walked through the door just as a nurse was getting his vitals. Bella tried to smile at her, but she wasn't sure if she did. She looked at Danny, still sound asleep, but to her great surprise, without an oxygen mask on.

"His oxygen level is 97. We took the mask off three hours ago. He was awake for a while, but he was too befuddled to actually say something. He fell asleep half an hour ago."

This time a real smile spread on Bella's lips. "Thank you. When will Doctor Adkins be here?"

"He's doing his rounds as we speak. I can't really tell you for sure, but he should be here before nine am."

Bella thanked the nurse once again and took a seat next to Danny's bed. She smiled down at him and ran her hand over his hair, feeling the soft texture under her fingertips.

"Hey, baby," she started. "I heard you were awake. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, but Daddy is making sure I'll never have to leave your side again. Daddy's here, too, you know. He stayed with you yesterday, but you were sleepy and you missed him."

Her sobs made her voice break, but she took a breath and continued. "You really scared Mommy, you know. I can't believe what my life would be like without waking up to you by my side, to those beautiful green eyes and that goofy contagious smile you have. I love you more than I have ever loved anything and anyone, Danny. Please don't leave me alone."

"He's not going anywhere," Doctor Adkins said, waking into the room. "At least not on my watch."

Bella looked up to see the young doctor smiling at her. He was in his early thirties, but the glow and genuine smile on his face made him look like a teenager more than anything else. His scrubs had different cartoon characters printed on, without a doubt to make small children smile.

"Doctor Adkins—" Bella started, but he stopped her.

"Please, call me John. I can't be that much older than you and the formality is making me a little uncomfortable." He smiled at her and raised his hand in greeting. His brown eyes held a warm twinkle in them and reminded Bella so much of Jacob's.

"Bella Swan," she said, shaking his head. "I'd like to say it's nice to meet you, but given the circumstances."

Edward chose this woman to walk into the room and his eyes narrowed as soon as he saw the close proximity Doctor Adkins had to Bella. The fact that he was holding her hands also didn't go unnoticed. Two quick steps and Edward was next to Bella, his arm holding her waist in a protective, possessive way.

"Edward Cullen, Daniel's father, we met already. I hope I don't have to get anymore information from you the way I did yesterday." There was something very disturbing in the way Edward said this, something that didn't go unnoticed by Bella.

Doctor Adkins wasn't stupid. He immediately recognized the jealousy seeping through Edward. He also took notice of the fact that Bella's last name was Swan and not Cullen.

"Of course. I'm here to give you all the information needed. Why don't you sit, while I tell you what procedures we'll be doing today."

Bella and Edward walked to the small couch placed next to the window and sat down. John grabbed the chair Bella was previously sitting on and placed it in front of them, before sitting down.

"What I told you last night is not confirmed. I don't want to get your hopes up, because the leukemia is our best guess at this moment, but without a bone marrow test, I really can't tell you anything for sure. Do you know what Acute Lymphoblast Leukemia is?"

Both parents shook their heads. Doctor Adkins explained, "It's the most common cancer spread around children. It's hematological malignancy. ALL causes damage … and death by crowding out normal cells in the bone marrow, and by spreading to other organs."

"What's the treatment, the tests, the survival rate?" Bella asked questions after question.

Doctor Adkins sighed. "Acute refers to the relatively short time course of the disease. It's fatal in as little as a few weeks if left untreated."

Bella's hand flew to her mouth as Edward's hands immediately grasped hers. "How far along…I mean…how much…" Bella stuttered.

"I can't really tell you this, Bella, since everything we have so far are guesses. I have scheduled Danny for a bone marrow test, a spinal fluid test and another blood work today. I will know more by tomorrow."

"How is he now?" Edward asked.

"His oxygen level is back to normal, so we took the mask off. We took his blood pressure this morning and everything seemed fine. He was awake for a short amount of time, but not enough for us to ask him something, or to even examine him. We hope that he'll wake up again soon, so that we could do all the tests."

"When will his bone marrow test be? I have heard it's agonizingly painful," Bella asked, sniffling and wiping her tears away.

John nodded. "Unfortunately it's painful. We have scheduled him for a ten o'clock biopsy. By two we will take spinal fluid and by six we will make another blood work."

"I want to be with him when you take his marrow," she said. Looking at Edward, she grasped his hand tighter. "We both want to be with him."

"I'm sorry, but this is not possible. Our hospital is very adamant—"

"We have a green light to do anything we want in this hospital. After all we're the sponsors for the purchase of an entirely new CT scan, MRI machine and seventy incubators for infants. They called it the Cullen donation."

Bella leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled slightly. He did, after all, get them what he wanted in the less dishonest way possible. She was proud of him.

Doctor Adkins raised his eyebrows, but remained silent. "I suppose if the Chief is all right with you attending there would be no problem from my side. Parents are really needed when their children are getting tested."

"What about our tests? When will you see if we are a possible donor match?"

"Our standard protocol is that we first check the database. Such searches could take up to a week, and in that time we test every living relative the patient has. I suggest you speak with your families and ask them to get tested as well."

"You didn't answer her question, Doctor," Edward interjected. "_When_ will our tests be?"

"Probably tomorrow. I can't authorize such test without having a result that Danny is truly sick. I have made a lot of guesses so far, something I don't like doing and I will follow every protocol on this one."

Doctor Adkins raised himself from the chair and straightened his coat. "I suggest you stay here with him. He could be awake soon and I'm sure he'd want to speak with you."

With that the Doctor walked out of the room and left Bella and Edward hugged on the couch with their eyes placed on their sleeping child.

Several hours passed. Bella was seated on the bottom of Danny's bed, her legs crossed under her while she ran her fingers over Danny's legs. Edward had taken the seat next to his head, just staring down at him.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Bella asked. She had been asking him questions like this all day long. Edward groaned. He felt like the biggest piece of trash when he couldn't answer her, when he couldn't reassure her. She was putting so much pressure on him and she didn't even realize she was doing it.

Seeing she wasn't going to get an answer, she asked another question. "What's your favorite memory of him?" Bella needed to talk to someone, even though she never had an outgoing personality. She was making small talk, but only because staying silent meant letting all those dark scenarios start writing themselves in her mind again. Something that was, without a doubt, going to make her crazy.

Edward sighed and leaned back on the chair. "Well, you're giving me a lot to think about," he said, twisting his mouth to the side as he concentrated. "It's hard to pick one, you know."

Bella smiled. "Just pick a random moment, then."

"Well, perhaps our outing before Christmas. I had taken him from daycare and we went to the mall to try and pick a present for you. Of course, I tried to make him tell me what you wanted, because as you may have noticed, I'm not the most perspective person on earth."

Bella chuckled, but urged him to continue. "The little guy is smart, let me tell you. He told me he knew exactly what you wanted, but he wouldn't tell me until I did practically everything he asked me to. I even bought him ice-cream."

"Edward!" Bella chastised. "It was the middle of December!"

"I know! He had taken after me. His negotiation skills are dirty. I have to admit I have spoiled him rather much, because he wanted a lot of useless toys. You'd be proud of me. I didn't buy everything he wanted."

Bella raised an eyebrow and made a sarcastic "yay" with her fist. Edward laughed. "Anyway, that wasn't the worst. He saw McDonald's golden arch once we left the mall and suddenly had a craving for Happy Meal. So, I put him on my shoulders and we went to the restaurant. I ordered everything he wanted, which was every single toy of the collection. I bought him eight different Happy Meals and made him swear not to tell you."

Bella chuckled. "So what happened next? I don't think his little tummy could handle eight Happy Meals."

"Oh, no. His _little tummy_ couldn't even handle _one_ Happy Meal. The kid just left me there with a tray full of food as he jumped into the poll of balls and started playing with the other kids."

Bella laughed out loud. It was the first time she smiled from the heart since yesterday. The bell-like sound made Edward let a chuckle on his own. "So, anyway, we head back to the mall, because the small dude still didn't tell me what you wanted. Then, we faced another problem. He didn't know how to spell it. So, what do you think we did? I'll tell you, we started going to every single store in the mall until we finally walked into the jewelry shop and the kid pointed the necklace out to me."

Bella touched instinctively the oval-shaped locket necklace on her neck. The sides were engraved with Danny's name and his date of birth. She often opened it just to see the photo of Edward and Danny sitting inside. Edward didn't know which photo Bella decided to place inside the locket, but he still smiled every time he saw her playing with it.

"Locweth neckwace," Danny mumbled, opening his eyes slowly.

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**Don't get too spoiled. I just wanted to write something else to add to the chapter I posted yesterday. I really, really need to get back to my studies now. LOL. Next chapter will be posted whenever I can write it. I can give you a little spoiler, though. Edward Senior will make an appearance again. ;)**

Beta'd by: Kitty Vuitton.


	25. And Then He Threatened For Her

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Twilight Series, or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

**Summary:** A heated encounter three years ago, leaves Bella Swan pregnant with her roommate's brother's child. Now she wants her child to know his father. He wants to crush her down for having it in the first place. Rated M (NC-17), for violence, sexual scenes and language. All Human, Very OOC, AU;

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**Paradise Lost**

_And Then He Threatened For Her_

"Is he awake again?" Edward asked, stepping into Danny's hospital room. "It's been four hours since last time."

Bella was standing with her back turned toward him. Her hair was pulled in a messy bun on top of her head, exposing her neck to the coolness of the hospital room. She didn't know if the shiver that ran down her spine was because of the air-conditioned air, or simply from Edward's presence. Despite the fact he had been around all the time, she still felt this weird chill whenever he walked into the same room with her.

He stepped closer and he shoulders tensed. Another step, and then another and was right behind her. Without thinking twice she leaned back at him and pressed her face to his broad shoulder.

She never thought that the man she so desperately tried to run away from would be the one to glue the pieces of her heart back together every time it shattered to a million pieces.

"Not since the last time," she mumbled in his neck. "He opened his eyes a couple of times, but dozed off almost immediately. John said that they'd have to sedate him soon for his tests."

Edward sneaked his arms around Bella's waist and entwined his fingers, letting them rest low on her stomach. He hated the way Dr. Adkins looked at Bella, the way he tried to re-assure her, to touch her whenever he wasn't around. He wasn't oblivious that the doctor seemed to lavish them with attention he undoubtedly didn't give his other patients. Edward, however, tried to bite his tongue and keep the glares at minimum. Staying close to Bella meant staying close to Danny and Edward wasn't going to risk his son's health over jealousy.

"What are we going to do if he's not all right, Edward? What if he does have cancer? What if he dies?"

Until then, neither of them dared to ask these questions. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating. Edward clicked his tongue and released Bella from his arms. Her anxieties looked permanently embodied underneath her eyes the deep purplish bags making her look older than her twenty-two years. Tiredly, they followed Edward's figure to Danny's bed, where he easily slipped next to his sleeping son, cuddling him to his chest.

Without moving his gaze from his son, he answered, "I can't give you false hopes, or take away the little faith you have. Don't ask me to do that, Bella. I'd either turn up a liar, or a bastard and I don't think that's who you need right now."

Bella rubbed her tired eyes and pressed her back to the wall, slowly sliding down until she was seated on the hard flood, holding her legs close to her chest. A comfortable silence settled in the room, the only noise coming from the machines attached to Danny.

"I spoke with John this morning," Bella started, looking up at Edward, who still caressed Danny's head. "We need to make a list of all our relatives that may be cancer carriers. As far as I know my mother was as healthy as a horse and my father's side of the family was in good health as well, if you exclude the premature balding."

Edward chuckled darkly. "I can give you the Cullens family history, but I don't think that'll do any good since I'm not a fucking Cullen! Do you really think I have any idea about the Masens medical problems?"

"Esme is your biological mother—"

"I honestly doubt she even knew who her family was. As far as I know she ran away with some asshole when she was fifteen or something and Carlisle found her somewhere. It's not like I can go and ask her now, can I?"

Bella sighed in defeat and buried her fingers in her hair. Their conversations ended with an argument ever since they stepped foot in the hospital. Usually, this was time when either she or Edward would step away from the room and try to calm their nerves, before giving another try of speaking.

Sighing, Bella stood up from the ground and brushed the invisible dust from the back of her pants. "I need to go and have a shower. I'm in desperate need of a long bath and clean clothes. You'll stay with him, won't you? I'll just stop by my apartment and be in and out as soon as possible."

It had been two days since Danny was brought to the hospital and Bella had not left since. Edward left on occasion, dealing with the bureaucracy surrounding Danny's stay at the hospital. Heath insurance, funding, the search of the best doctors to consult and help with his case wasn't something he wanted to let Bella beat herself upon.

"Go to my place. It's closer and I already moved some of your stuff there. There's a spare toothbrush and razors in the cabinet above the sink of the master bathroom."

"I can go to my own apartment. In fact, I should go and check on things there. I haven't been in since..." She left that trail of thought for Edward to finish.

Removing his eyes from Danny, Edward looked at Bella. "There's nothing you need to take care of in your apartment. Vanessa called while you were sleeping this morning and told me her and Jacob were maintaining the apartment. Just cut your time and go to my place."

Sighing irritated, Bella said, "Fine. Give me your car keys."

"Did you lose your mind? I'm not giving you my car!" he said, immediately, rejecting her request. "I don't trust anyone with my car."

Bella looked at him for the longest time, dumbfounded. "You trust me to raise your son, yet you don't trust me to drive your car?" She hurriedly placed a few strands of hair that were hanging around her face behind her ears and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What if you do anything to it?"

"Like what? Run a homeless person over and flee the scene?" Her voice had raised and her expression was similar to the one she had whenever she ate something sour.

Edward's features immediately hardened. He dug deep into his pocket and as soon as he took a hold on his keys he tossed them at her forcefully. In the last second she dogged away from them and they fell onto the floor. "Bitch," he hissed at her, bringing his attention back to his son.

"Is everything okay in here?" Dr. Adkins asked, walking into the room with a concerned look on his face. His usually colorful patterned scrubs were replaced with plain pale blue ones.

"Just peachy, John," Bella knelt down to grab the keys and toss them back at Edward with the same force he tossed them at her. She quickly kissed Danny's head and walked out of the room, muttering, "Just peachy."

Angrily, Bella walked out of the hospital's premises and took the deep breath she didn't even know she needed so bad. The four hospital room walls have been closing on her, suffocating her, but not as much as the thought of her son's sickness.

Hailing a cab as soon as she reached the street, she gave the driver her address and leaned back on the seat, fighting the urge to close her eyes and have the much needed sleep she was deprived of the past two days. Bella let her mind wander around what had happened and what was about to happen. Yesterday, after Danny had woken up, he wasn't coherent and almost immediately slipped out of consciousness again. He woke up periodically after that, three to four hours apart, but he fell asleep again almost as soon as he asked for his mother.

Doctor Adkins had decided to wait another night and see if there will be any new development before he proceeded with the tests he had previously scheduled for last night. The morning he came to check on him and Bella, he informed her that they will start preparing him for the bone marrow test around midday, but the actual test had been scheduled for three o'clock.

Arriving at her apartment, she greeted the doorman and wished him a good day before walking to the elevator and climbing in. She was alone in it and sighed contently, needing the time alone. Bella didn't know how worn out and beat she was until she left the hospital.

The elevator arrived at her floor and almost immediately the door to her apartment opened. Before she could even utter a word, Jacob had her in his arms and soothingly caressed her hair. Her dead eyes couldn't produce tears anymore, so she just collapsed in his arms and let him collect the pieces of her broken being.

Jake released the hold he had on her only for Vanessa to fill his place. "It's going to be all right, B. Trust me on this."

Keeping her gaze on nothing at all, Bella didn't saw who had her wrapped in an embrace next, but when she was finally crushed to his chest, she looked up and burst in tears, grabbing a handful of his shirt, she kept him close to her as she soaked through the material.

"Shh, Bella. I'm here. We're here. It's all right," Emmett whispered in her ear, stroking the back of her head soothingly.

As soon as Jacob had called him the night before informing him about the outcome of Danny's illness, Emmett had called and made arrangements with his company's private jet to fly to Seattle first thing in the morning. Knowing perfectly well Rosalie would also want to be there, he asked her to join him and as soon as it was possible they were on their way to Seattle.

The flight had been more than uncomfortable. Their official break up had happened only forty-eight hours earlier. Emmett had hoped to at least have six months before having to see her again, afraid that being in the same room with her might bring back memories and desires he was not yet ready for.

Destiny had other plans, though and that was not the time for him and Rosalie to overcome their difficulties with conversing with each other. They were here for Danny and Bella sake and nothing was going to stay in their way of helping whichever way they could.

Rosalie took uncertain steps toward Bella, unsure as to how the broken mother would react to her presence. The last time they met things hadn't ended well between them. Although Rosalie was her best friend, Bella had no problems telling her off and defending Emmett when she did wrong. Bella hated to admit it, but a small part of her held personal grudge against her for sleeping with Edward. Rationally, Bella knew she had no claim on him, nor that she wanted one, but subconsciously the jealousy made her feel like Rosalie betrayed her as well.

Bella looked up at her friend and smiled weakly, hugging her before letting go, only to hold her hand, "What are you doing here," she said, sniffling as the tears ceased to fall from her eyes anymore. She was so tired, all she wanted was to curl in bed and go to sleep, but the urge to be close to Danny was more than her tired body's wishes.

"Jake called us last night and we flew in as soon as possible," Emmett explained, a deep frown forming between his eyebrows. "How's the little man?"

Clearing her throat, Bella answered, "He's fine, or…as fine as he could possibly be. He's with his father now. They've scheduled him for some testing later today. I just came to have a shower and grab a bite to eat and then I'll go back."

"We're here for you, Bella," Rosalie whispered, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"God, I wanted to see you all so bad. I'm sorry we don't meet under better circumstances."

Rosalie and Emmett's gazes met, and Rose was the first to advert her gaze. They hadn't told Jake and Vanessa and they definitely weren't going to tell Bella now about their decision to stop seeing each other indefinitely. Somewhere in the back of her head, Bella always thought that her friends would somehow find their way back to each other, no matter how rough the path they were going through was.

"Jump in the shower," Vanessa said. "I'll make something to eat and then I'll drive you to the hospital."

Nodding in agreement, Bella squeezed Rosalie hand once more, before letting go and walking into the apartment. The young mother kept her gaze on the floor, scared that if she saw something that belonged to her son, she'd crash down.

On her way to the bathroom, Bella walked into the laundry room to collect her towel, when she remembered being here with Edward less than a month ago. So much has changed since then. Although embarrassed, in that moment Bella also felt desire. Their relationship had always had its bumps, but back then things were smooth, care-free and joyful. Back then, Bella even let herself think about "what ifs" with her and Edward.

Shaking her head, she picked up the first towel she saw and all but ran out of the laundry room. This wasn't the time to dwell on such things.

Rushing through her shower, Bella tried her best now to think about anything in particular. She hummed a song and wondered what Vanessa was making for breakfast. Desperately, she ran around the real problems. Drying herself with a towel, Bella was quick to put on a pair of jeans and a tight-fitted blue shirt. Walking to her closet, she pulled out an overhead hoodie and put it over the shirt. She wrapped a towel around her wet hair before leaving the room.

The smell of bacon and eggs attacked her senses and her stomach growled in protest. She had fed herself a little in the hospital, but with all the stress, she just hadn't felt hungry.

"You okay?" Jacob asked when she walked into the room.

Nodding reassuringly, she moved her head from left to right cracking her neck. "I'm going to need a massage when all of this is over." Bella sat on one of the barstools and immediately grabbed the fork in front of her, digging into the delicious breakfast.

"Did you call Charlotte?" Rosalie asked, looking up from her cereal. Emmett was seated next to her having a sandwich stuffed with so many ingredients it would put _Subway_ to shame. Hearing the name Charlotte reminded him that he had a date that night that he obviously couldn't attend now.

His relationship with Charlotte had been crazy. They had only met three days ago, but she wasn't shy by any means. Almost as soon as they went on their separate ways, Emmett sent her a text, giving her his number. Throughout the day they kept sending texts, teasing each other, making the other laugh. Emmett gathered the courage to call her later in the evening and they spent almost the entire night speaking. The next two days have passed in similar fashion until Emmett finally decided to ask her out.

He wanted to smack himself for being so forgetful. He made a silent note to call her as soon as he could and inform her of what was going on. Hopefully she'd understand, because Emmett was already crazy about her.

"God no. I forgot. I have to call her," Bella groaned, swallowing the food in her mouth. "She's not Edward's blood cousin, though, so it's not like she can get tes—"

Bella gasped and her eyes immediately met Vanessa's. Four pairs of eyes stared at Bella as if she had lost her mind. Pieces finally started falling into their places.

"Do you have history of cancer in your family?" Bella asked hurriedly.

"Why?" Vanessa asked, confused. Emmett and Rosalie looked at each other and then back at the scene in front of them. Nobody could understand what was going on, but Bella kept pressuring.

"Just answer the question, Ness!" Bella raised her voice and sat up straighter in the chair.

"My father has Leukemia, you know that. His grandfather also had it."

Jacob tensed next to her and wrapped his arms protectively around her. "Is there any chance you…you know."

Vanessa shook her head. "It doesn't affect all, most like…between generations. I don't have any siblings and my aunt and uncle have no kids. I'm freaked out about it, but the tests I've made don't show any abnormalities. Why are you asking, Bella?"

Tears brimmed in the corners of Bella's eyes. "Because Edward Masen is Edward's biological father," Bella said, hurriedly and jumped from her chair. "I need to get to the hospital. Edward needs to get tested as well as you." Bella pointed toward Vanessa who had the look of shock on her face.

"Wow," Emmett murmured. "That's fucked up."

"You have to call Edward and Elizabeth," Bella said, tying the shoe laces of her sneakers. "Tell them Edward better get in here as soon as possible."

Less than half-an-hour later, Vanessa and Bella walked through the doors of the hospital. The initial shock of the information Bella had thrown at Vanessa had subsided and the latter finally was able to contact her family. By Murphy's Law, the only people she couldn't reach were Edward and Elizabeth, who were out of town and to their private cabin for the weekend.

Bella walked through the doors of Danny's room and involuntarily, her lips turned up into a smile. Edward was lying in the same position she left him in, only he was sound asleep. His arms were wrapped securely around their son's fragile body.

"I'll go buy coffee," Vanessa said, leaving Bella alone with her family.

Walking to the bed, Bella leaned over and caressed Danny's head. Sighing deeply, she moved her gaze to Edward who looked so calm, so content in his sleep. There were no traces of the angry men she was used to seeing all the time. In his sleep he looked even more beautiful than usual. Gone were the angry glares and the hardened features of his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, without opening his eyes. "I acted like a jerk and you didn't deserve it. I'm angry and frustrated and—"

"I know," Bella said silencing him. "Don't beat yourself about it, we'll talk later."

Edward looked up and her and took her hand in his, entwining their fingers together. "I don't think…I don't think I can survive all this without you here," Bella whispered, showing her insecurities.

"I don't think I can survive _anything_ without you here," he answered her.

Bella averted her gaze from him and instead kept her eyes firmly on the vegetation outside the window. He had been telling stuff like that for a while now, but with Danny's condition she let it slide off her shoulders. Most of the time she was too distressed to push him away or to even comprehend what his lips on her neck, or arms around her waist meant to him.

The last thing she wanted was to give me false hopes about them. That was never going to happen no matter how much he wanted it.

"Did I freak you out?" he asked, still stroking Danny's hair.

Bella huffed and put her fingers into the tight pockets of her jeans. "It sounded pretty affectionate for two people who have no romantic history, present or future don't you think?"

Edward looked at her with a raised eyebrow, amusement overtaking the seriousness of the conversation. He knew Bella would be freaking out whenever they had to finally decide what their relationship was all about. Were they simply Daniel's parents, or was there something more, something else. He knew there was, but Bella was still beating around the bush. He let her do it. Denial was the first thing people felt whenever they got attracted to someone they usually wouldn't. That didn't bother him all.

"All right. You keep telling that to yourself and let me know how that works out for you."

Bella opened her mouth to protest, but before she could utter a single word Doctor Adkins walked into the room, informing both parents that Danny needs to be taken for preparation for the bone-marrow test.

"I want to be there," Bella argued. "I'm not leaving my son to get a painful procedure without me by his side."

"Bella," Adkins said, grabbing her hand in between his palms. "He's going to be sedated and he won't feel a thing."

Edward groaned, completely fed up with the doctor's attitude. He had left his hands roam around Bella for way too long now and although he had no intention of causing a scene, this young doctor definitely crossed the line. Standing up from the bed he walked over to Bella and pulled her to his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Her hand fell to her side and Doctor Adkins even had the decency of looking somewhat irritated.

It amused Edward.

"I believe she said she wanted to be there. She _will_ be there. Do you want me to break more hospital policies by demanding my presence in the room as well?"

"Mr. Cullen, I'm not easily moved my money and status. You may have a lot more benefits here in the hospital because of your 'donation' but to me you're just like any other parent on this floor."

A bitter chuckle escaped Edward's lips. "Bella, why don't you go and find a nurse that will give you some clothes to change into for the test? I'd like to have a word with Doctor Adkins privately."

"I don't think—"

"Please, Bella," Edward said with finality in his voice.

Sighing, Bella looked between the two men and with a tight line formed on her lips, turned to look at the father of her child. Her chocolate orbs found his eyes and held them with such intensity, Edward couldn't have adverted his gaze for anything. "Don't do anything stupid," she said in a quiet voice, before walking back slightly and turning around walking out of the room.

As soon as she was out of sight, Edward sneered and stepped closer to the doctor. "I have no idea what kind of sick thoughts are running through your head, but let me get one thing clear. Bella is mine."

Smirking, John crossed his arms over his chest. "She sure doesn't act like she's yours."

Laughing mockingly, Edward threatened, "I have ruined a lot of lives, doctor. I have no problem adding you to my list. Do your goddamned job and help my son. Think less of what my woman's body looks like naked, because guess what," he stepped closer to him, breathing down his neck. "I'm the only one who gets to see her like this. Don't fuck with me. This is a warning."

Walking around him and purposefully shoving him away with his shoulder, Edward heard the bitter mumble of John voice, saying quietly, "We'll see about that."

* * *

**It's highly likely for this story to get deleted, because of all the craziness happening on Fanfiction. NET. No worries, this story won't disappear even if it gets deleted. It's moved, as well as my other stories, to The Writer's Coffee Shop Library.**

**This story is undergoing an editing process. So far the only edited chapter is the prologue, but as soon as I can get my hands on it, I'll edit everything.**

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